单项选择题

Questions 1~5
Richard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described as the creature and embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard"s contemporaries called him "Coeur de Lion"(The Lion Heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years" reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He rejoiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame. He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned, and united with the highest qualities of the military commander. Love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.
Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the journey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms he was easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King"s artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.
In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. Confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier" s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs; he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconciled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age on April 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland and other heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in his comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.
The archer was flayed alive.Which of the following phrase best describes Richard as seen by the author

A.An aggressive king, too fond of war.
B.A brave king with minor faults.
C.A competent but cunning soldier.
D.A kind with great political skills.
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单项选择题

Questions 1~5
Richard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described as the creature and embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard"s contemporaries called him "Coeur de Lion"(The Lion Heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years" reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He rejoiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame. He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned, and united with the highest qualities of the military commander. Love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.
Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the journey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms he was easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King"s artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.
In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. Confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier" s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs; he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconciled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age on April 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland and other heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in his comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.
The archer was flayed alive."Little did the English people owe him for his service" (para.1) means that the English people ______.

A.paid few taxes to him
B.gave him little respect
C.received little protection from him
D.had no real cause to feel grateful to him
单项选择题

Questions 6~10
There has been much hullabaloo about corporate accounting scams in America, yet perhaps the biggest accounting oversight of all time remains hidden in governments" own national figures. GDP per head is the most commonly used measure of a country"s success, yet it is badly flawed as a guide to a nation"s economic well-being. A new study in the OECD"s 2006 "Going for Growth" report considers some alternatives.
Economists spend much time discussing how to boost GDP growth. The OECD itself drew attention this week to the widening gap between American" s and Europe"s GDP per head. Yet a nation"s well-being depends on many factors ignored by GDP, such as leisure time, income inequality and the quality of the environment. GDP was developed primarily as a planning tool to guide the huge production effort of the Second World War. It was never intended to be the definite yardstick of economic welfare. Would another indicator change the ranking of countries or their relative performance over time
GDP is not even the best gauge of the monetary aspects of living standards. It measures the value of goods and services produced by the residents of a country. But some of the income of earned in Britain, say, is paid to non-residents, while residents receive income from abroad. Adding net income from abroad to GDP gives us gross national income (GNI, also known as gross national product), which is more relevant for the prosperity of a nation.
Most countries" rank by GNI pre head is similar to that by GDP. One exception is Ireland: its GDP per head is one of the highest in the OECD, but because of large net outflows of investment income, its GNI per head is merely around the OECD average. Its average GNI growth rate over the past decade has also been about one percentage point less than on a GDP basis.
Another flaw is that GDP makes no allowance for the depreciation of the capital stock. Subtracting this from GNI leaves net national income (NNI), which is probably the best national account measure of welfare. Awkwardly, the numbers are harder to come by, making it difficult to compare across countries and over time.
But even NNI is an imperfect measure of people"s welfare: it excludes the value of such important things as leisure, inequality and the environment. GDP should ideally be reduced to take account of pollution and the using-up of non-renewable resources, but no standard accounts that can do this are yet available.
On the other hand, the OECD has made a brave attempt to adjust GDP for the distribution of income. To most observers, a country where a few families enjoy huge wealth but most live in abject poverty would have a lower level of well-being than one with the same GDP but less poverty. A dollar of income is, in effect, worth more in the hands of the poor, though just how much more depends on attitudes towards inequality, the gap between American and most other rich countries, which have a more equal distribution of income, should be greatly reduced. By this measure, adjusted income per head is higher in France than in America.
Inequality has also risen in recent years in most countries. Assuming again a strong aversion to equality, average adjusted income per head grew by only 0.6% a year in OECD countries between 1985 and 2002, against 1.4% for GDP per head. But such estimates are sensitive to big value judgments. If, instead, people care little about inequality, then the adjustment will be much smaller.
Longer holidays and shorter working hours increasing an individual"s well-being, yet conventional national accounts completely overlook such benefits. America is one of the world"s richest countries, yet its workers toil longer hours than those elsewhere. As a result, adjusting GDP for leisure also narrows the gap between America and Europe.
So far, neither the adjustment for inequality nor that for leisure alone overturns America"s economic superiority. However, if both adjustments were made, then on certain assumptions, the gap between United States and several European countries could vanish.
This does not mean that Europe can afford to abandon economic reforms. Leisure time is valuable, but it will not pay for future pensions. Nevertheless, the OECD is to be congratulated for being the first mainstream organization to challenge the conventional GDP numbers. Its task now is to encourage governments to start producing more relevant statistics.Which of the following is TRUE about the author"s attitude towards the current GDP evaluation system adopted by the American government

A.It is the origin of the majority of corporate accounting scams in America.
B.It is manipulated by the government to mislead the public regarding the country"s economic performances.
C.It is the most commonly used measure of a country"s success in economic terms.
D.Its adoption as a guide to a nation"s economic well-being is not well-grounded.
单项选择题

Questions 1~5
Richard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described as the creature and embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard"s contemporaries called him "Coeur de Lion"(The Lion Heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years" reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He rejoiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame. He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned, and united with the highest qualities of the military commander. Love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.
Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the journey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms he was easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King"s artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.
In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. Confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier" s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs; he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconciled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age on April 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland and other heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in his comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.
The archer was flayed alive.To say that his wife was a "magnificent parade" (para.2) implies that it was to some extent ______.

A.spent chiefly at war
B.impressive and admirable
C.lived too pompously
D.an empty show
单项选择题

Questions 6~10
There has been much hullabaloo about corporate accounting scams in America, yet perhaps the biggest accounting oversight of all time remains hidden in governments" own national figures. GDP per head is the most commonly used measure of a country"s success, yet it is badly flawed as a guide to a nation"s economic well-being. A new study in the OECD"s 2006 "Going for Growth" report considers some alternatives.
Economists spend much time discussing how to boost GDP growth. The OECD itself drew attention this week to the widening gap between American" s and Europe"s GDP per head. Yet a nation"s well-being depends on many factors ignored by GDP, such as leisure time, income inequality and the quality of the environment. GDP was developed primarily as a planning tool to guide the huge production effort of the Second World War. It was never intended to be the definite yardstick of economic welfare. Would another indicator change the ranking of countries or their relative performance over time
GDP is not even the best gauge of the monetary aspects of living standards. It measures the value of goods and services produced by the residents of a country. But some of the income of earned in Britain, say, is paid to non-residents, while residents receive income from abroad. Adding net income from abroad to GDP gives us gross national income (GNI, also known as gross national product), which is more relevant for the prosperity of a nation.
Most countries" rank by GNI pre head is similar to that by GDP. One exception is Ireland: its GDP per head is one of the highest in the OECD, but because of large net outflows of investment income, its GNI per head is merely around the OECD average. Its average GNI growth rate over the past decade has also been about one percentage point less than on a GDP basis.
Another flaw is that GDP makes no allowance for the depreciation of the capital stock. Subtracting this from GNI leaves net national income (NNI), which is probably the best national account measure of welfare. Awkwardly, the numbers are harder to come by, making it difficult to compare across countries and over time.
But even NNI is an imperfect measure of people"s welfare: it excludes the value of such important things as leisure, inequality and the environment. GDP should ideally be reduced to take account of pollution and the using-up of non-renewable resources, but no standard accounts that can do this are yet available.
On the other hand, the OECD has made a brave attempt to adjust GDP for the distribution of income. To most observers, a country where a few families enjoy huge wealth but most live in abject poverty would have a lower level of well-being than one with the same GDP but less poverty. A dollar of income is, in effect, worth more in the hands of the poor, though just how much more depends on attitudes towards inequality, the gap between American and most other rich countries, which have a more equal distribution of income, should be greatly reduced. By this measure, adjusted income per head is higher in France than in America.
Inequality has also risen in recent years in most countries. Assuming again a strong aversion to equality, average adjusted income per head grew by only 0.6% a year in OECD countries between 1985 and 2002, against 1.4% for GDP per head. But such estimates are sensitive to big value judgments. If, instead, people care little about inequality, then the adjustment will be much smaller.
Longer holidays and shorter working hours increasing an individual"s well-being, yet conventional national accounts completely overlook such benefits. America is one of the world"s richest countries, yet its workers toil longer hours than those elsewhere. As a result, adjusting GDP for leisure also narrows the gap between America and Europe.
So far, neither the adjustment for inequality nor that for leisure alone overturns America"s economic superiority. However, if both adjustments were made, then on certain assumptions, the gap between United States and several European countries could vanish.
This does not mean that Europe can afford to abandon economic reforms. Leisure time is valuable, but it will not pay for future pensions. Nevertheless, the OECD is to be congratulated for being the first mainstream organization to challenge the conventional GDP numbers. Its task now is to encourage governments to start producing more relevant statistics.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about NNI

A.It is the result of subtracting the depreciation of capital stock from GNI.
B.It can be easily adopted to compare across countries and over time.
C.It is not a perfect measure of people"s welfare.
D.Compared with GDP and GNI, it is a more reasonable national-account measure of welfare.
单项选择题

Questions 1~5
Richard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described as the creature and embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard"s contemporaries called him "Coeur de Lion"(The Lion Heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years" reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He rejoiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame. He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned, and united with the highest qualities of the military commander. Love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.
Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the journey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms he was easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King"s artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.
In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. Confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier" s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs; he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconciled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age on April 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland and other heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in his comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.
The archer was flayed alive.Richard"s behavior as death approached showed ______.

A.bravery and self-control
B.wisdom and correctness
C.devotion and romance
D.chivalry and charity
单项选择题

Questions 6~10
There has been much hullabaloo about corporate accounting scams in America, yet perhaps the biggest accounting oversight of all time remains hidden in governments" own national figures. GDP per head is the most commonly used measure of a country"s success, yet it is badly flawed as a guide to a nation"s economic well-being. A new study in the OECD"s 2006 "Going for Growth" report considers some alternatives.
Economists spend much time discussing how to boost GDP growth. The OECD itself drew attention this week to the widening gap between American" s and Europe"s GDP per head. Yet a nation"s well-being depends on many factors ignored by GDP, such as leisure time, income inequality and the quality of the environment. GDP was developed primarily as a planning tool to guide the huge production effort of the Second World War. It was never intended to be the definite yardstick of economic welfare. Would another indicator change the ranking of countries or their relative performance over time
GDP is not even the best gauge of the monetary aspects of living standards. It measures the value of goods and services produced by the residents of a country. But some of the income of earned in Britain, say, is paid to non-residents, while residents receive income from abroad. Adding net income from abroad to GDP gives us gross national income (GNI, also known as gross national product), which is more relevant for the prosperity of a nation.
Most countries" rank by GNI pre head is similar to that by GDP. One exception is Ireland: its GDP per head is one of the highest in the OECD, but because of large net outflows of investment income, its GNI per head is merely around the OECD average. Its average GNI growth rate over the past decade has also been about one percentage point less than on a GDP basis.
Another flaw is that GDP makes no allowance for the depreciation of the capital stock. Subtracting this from GNI leaves net national income (NNI), which is probably the best national account measure of welfare. Awkwardly, the numbers are harder to come by, making it difficult to compare across countries and over time.
But even NNI is an imperfect measure of people"s welfare: it excludes the value of such important things as leisure, inequality and the environment. GDP should ideally be reduced to take account of pollution and the using-up of non-renewable resources, but no standard accounts that can do this are yet available.
On the other hand, the OECD has made a brave attempt to adjust GDP for the distribution of income. To most observers, a country where a few families enjoy huge wealth but most live in abject poverty would have a lower level of well-being than one with the same GDP but less poverty. A dollar of income is, in effect, worth more in the hands of the poor, though just how much more depends on attitudes towards inequality, the gap between American and most other rich countries, which have a more equal distribution of income, should be greatly reduced. By this measure, adjusted income per head is higher in France than in America.
Inequality has also risen in recent years in most countries. Assuming again a strong aversion to equality, average adjusted income per head grew by only 0.6% a year in OECD countries between 1985 and 2002, against 1.4% for GDP per head. But such estimates are sensitive to big value judgments. If, instead, people care little about inequality, then the adjustment will be much smaller.
Longer holidays and shorter working hours increasing an individual"s well-being, yet conventional national accounts completely overlook such benefits. America is one of the world"s richest countries, yet its workers toil longer hours than those elsewhere. As a result, adjusting GDP for leisure also narrows the gap between America and Europe.
So far, neither the adjustment for inequality nor that for leisure alone overturns America"s economic superiority. However, if both adjustments were made, then on certain assumptions, the gap between United States and several European countries could vanish.
This does not mean that Europe can afford to abandon economic reforms. Leisure time is valuable, but it will not pay for future pensions. Nevertheless, the OECD is to be congratulated for being the first mainstream organization to challenge the conventional GDP numbers. Its task now is to encourage governments to start producing more relevant statistics.According to the passage, why is the inequality-adjusted income per head in France higher than that in America

A.Because the GDP per capita in France is substantially higher than in America.
B.Because France witnessed a sharp increase of inequality in income distribution.
C.Because income distribution is more polarized in America than in France.
D.Because the two countries adopted different methods of national-account measurement.
单项选择题

Questions 1~5
Richard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described as the creature and embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard"s contemporaries called him "Coeur de Lion"(The Lion Heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years" reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He rejoiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame. He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned, and united with the highest qualities of the military commander. Love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.
Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the journey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms he was easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King"s artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.
In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. Confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier" s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs; he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconciled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age on April 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland and other heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in his comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.
The archer was flayed alive.The point of the last short paragraph is that Richard was ______.

A.cheated by his own successors
B.determined to take revenge on his enemies
C.more generous to his enemies than his successors
D.unable to influence the behavior of his successors
单项选择题

Questions 6~10
There has been much hullabaloo about corporate accounting scams in America, yet perhaps the biggest accounting oversight of all time remains hidden in governments" own national figures. GDP per head is the most commonly used measure of a country"s success, yet it is badly flawed as a guide to a nation"s economic well-being. A new study in the OECD"s 2006 "Going for Growth" report considers some alternatives.
Economists spend much time discussing how to boost GDP growth. The OECD itself drew attention this week to the widening gap between American" s and Europe"s GDP per head. Yet a nation"s well-being depends on many factors ignored by GDP, such as leisure time, income inequality and the quality of the environment. GDP was developed primarily as a planning tool to guide the huge production effort of the Second World War. It was never intended to be the definite yardstick of economic welfare. Would another indicator change the ranking of countries or their relative performance over time
GDP is not even the best gauge of the monetary aspects of living standards. It measures the value of goods and services produced by the residents of a country. But some of the income of earned in Britain, say, is paid to non-residents, while residents receive income from abroad. Adding net income from abroad to GDP gives us gross national income (GNI, also known as gross national product), which is more relevant for the prosperity of a nation.
Most countries" rank by GNI pre head is similar to that by GDP. One exception is Ireland: its GDP per head is one of the highest in the OECD, but because of large net outflows of investment income, its GNI per head is merely around the OECD average. Its average GNI growth rate over the past decade has also been about one percentage point less than on a GDP basis.
Another flaw is that GDP makes no allowance for the depreciation of the capital stock. Subtracting this from GNI leaves net national income (NNI), which is probably the best national account measure of welfare. Awkwardly, the numbers are harder to come by, making it difficult to compare across countries and over time.
But even NNI is an imperfect measure of people"s welfare: it excludes the value of such important things as leisure, inequality and the environment. GDP should ideally be reduced to take account of pollution and the using-up of non-renewable resources, but no standard accounts that can do this are yet available.
On the other hand, the OECD has made a brave attempt to adjust GDP for the distribution of income. To most observers, a country where a few families enjoy huge wealth but most live in abject poverty would have a lower level of well-being than one with the same GDP but less poverty. A dollar of income is, in effect, worth more in the hands of the poor, though just how much more depends on attitudes towards inequality, the gap between American and most other rich countries, which have a more equal distribution of income, should be greatly reduced. By this measure, adjusted income per head is higher in France than in America.
Inequality has also risen in recent years in most countries. Assuming again a strong aversion to equality, average adjusted income per head grew by only 0.6% a year in OECD countries between 1985 and 2002, against 1.4% for GDP per head. But such estimates are sensitive to big value judgments. If, instead, people care little about inequality, then the adjustment will be much smaller.
Longer holidays and shorter working hours increasing an individual"s well-being, yet conventional national accounts completely overlook such benefits. America is one of the world"s richest countries, yet its workers toil longer hours than those elsewhere. As a result, adjusting GDP for leisure also narrows the gap between America and Europe.
So far, neither the adjustment for inequality nor that for leisure alone overturns America"s economic superiority. However, if both adjustments were made, then on certain assumptions, the gap between United States and several European countries could vanish.
This does not mean that Europe can afford to abandon economic reforms. Leisure time is valuable, but it will not pay for future pensions. Nevertheless, the OECD is to be congratulated for being the first mainstream organization to challenge the conventional GDP numbers. Its task now is to encourage governments to start producing more relevant statistics.According to the passage, regarding an individual"s well-being, which of the following facts will NOT narrow the GDP gap between America and Europe

A.Environmental deterioration in Europe is more serious than in America.
B.American workers work longer hours than their counterparts in Europe.
C.Inequality in income distribution is more serious in America than in France.
D.European workers can enjoy longer holidays than those in America.
单项选择题

Questions 1~5
Richard, King of England from 1189 to 1199, with all his characteristic virtues and faults cast in a heroic mould, is one of the most fascinating medieval figures. He has been described as the creature and embodiment of the age of chivalry, In those days the lion was much admired in heraldry, and more than one king sought to link himself with its repute. When Richard"s contemporaries called him "Coeur de Lion"(The Lion Heart), they paid a lasting compliment to the king of beasts. Little did the English people owe him for his services, and heavily did they pay for his adventures. He was in England only twice for a few short months in his ten years" reign; yet his memory has always English hearts, and seems to present throughout the centuries the pattern of the fighting man. In all deeds of prowess as well as in large schemes of war Richard shone. He was tall and delicately shaped strong in nerve and sinew, and most dexterous in arms. He rejoiced in personal combat, and regarded his opponents without malice as necessary agents in his fame. He loved war, not so much for the sake of glory or political ends, but as other men love science or poetry, for the excitement of the struggle and the glow of victory. By this his whole temperament was toned, and united with the highest qualities of the military commander. Love of war called forth all the powers of his mind and body.
Although a man of blood and violence, Richard was too impetuous to be either treacherous on habitually cruel. He was as ready to forgive as he was hasty to offend; he was open-handed and munificent to profusion; in war circumspect in design and skilful in execution; in political a child, lacking in subtlety and experience. His political alliances were formed upon his likes and dislikes; his political schemes had neither unity nor clearness of purpose. The advantages gained for him by military geoids were flung away through diplomatic ineptitude. When, on the journey to the East, Messina in Sicily was won by his arms he was easily persuaded to share with his polished, faithless ally, Philip Augustus, fruits of a victory which more wisely used might have foiled the French King"s artful schemes. The rich and tenable acquisition of Cyprus was cast away even more easily than it was won. His life was one magnificent parade, which, when ended, left only an empty plain.
In 1199, when the difficulties of raising revenue for the endless war were at their height, good news was brought to King Richard. It was said there had been dug up near the castle of Chaluz, on the lands of one of his French vassals, a treasure of wonderful quality; a group of golden images of an emperor, his wife, sons and daughters, seated round a table, also of gold, had been unearthed. The King claimed this treasure as lord paramount. The lord of Chaluz resisted the demand, and the King laid siege to his small, weak castle. On the third day, as he rode daringly, near the wall. Confident in his hard-tried luck, a bolt from a crossbow struck him in the left shoulder by the neck. The wound, already deep, was aggravated by the necessary cutting out of the arrow-head. Gangrene set in, and Coeur de Lion knew that he must pay a soldier" s debt. He prepared for death with fortitude and calm, and in accordance with the principles he had followed. He arranged his affairs; he divided his personal belongings among his friends or bequeathed them to charity. He declared John to be his heir, and made all present swear fealty to him. He ordered the archer who had shot the fatal bolt, and who was now a prisoner, to be brought before him. He pardoned him, and made him a gift of money. For seven years he had not confessed for fear of being compelled to be reconciled to Philip, but now he received the offices of the Church with sincere and exemplary piety, and died in the forty-second year of his age on April 6, 1199, worthy, by the consent of all men, to sit with King Arthur and Roland and other heroes of martial romance at some Eternal round Table, which we trust the Creator of the Universe in his comprehension will not have forgotten to provide.
The archer was flayed alive.Which of the following phrase best describes Richard as seen by the author

A.An aggressive king, too fond of war.
B.A brave king with minor faults.
C.A competent but cunning soldier.
D.A kind with great political skills.
单项选择题

Questions 6~10
There has been much hullabaloo about corporate accounting scams in America, yet perhaps the biggest accounting oversight of all time remains hidden in governments" own national figures. GDP per head is the most commonly used measure of a country"s success, yet it is badly flawed as a guide to a nation"s economic well-being. A new study in the OECD"s 2006 "Going for Growth" report considers some alternatives.
Economists spend much time discussing how to boost GDP growth. The OECD itself drew attention this week to the widening gap between American" s and Europe"s GDP per head. Yet a nation"s well-being depends on many factors ignored by GDP, such as leisure time, income inequality and the quality of the environment. GDP was developed primarily as a planning tool to guide the huge production effort of the Second World War. It was never intended to be the definite yardstick of economic welfare. Would another indicator change the ranking of countries or their relative performance over time
GDP is not even the best gauge of the monetary aspects of living standards. It measures the value of goods and services produced by the residents of a country. But some of the income of earned in Britain, say, is paid to non-residents, while residents receive income from abroad. Adding net income from abroad to GDP gives us gross national income (GNI, also known as gross national product), which is more relevant for the prosperity of a nation.
Most countries" rank by GNI pre head is similar to that by GDP. One exception is Ireland: its GDP per head is one of the highest in the OECD, but because of large net outflows of investment income, its GNI per head is merely around the OECD average. Its average GNI growth rate over the past decade has also been about one percentage point less than on a GDP basis.
Another flaw is that GDP makes no allowance for the depreciation of the capital stock. Subtracting this from GNI leaves net national income (NNI), which is probably the best national account measure of welfare. Awkwardly, the numbers are harder to come by, making it difficult to compare across countries and over time.
But even NNI is an imperfect measure of people"s welfare: it excludes the value of such important things as leisure, inequality and the environment. GDP should ideally be reduced to take account of pollution and the using-up of non-renewable resources, but no standard accounts that can do this are yet available.
On the other hand, the OECD has made a brave attempt to adjust GDP for the distribution of income. To most observers, a country where a few families enjoy huge wealth but most live in abject poverty would have a lower level of well-being than one with the same GDP but less poverty. A dollar of income is, in effect, worth more in the hands of the poor, though just how much more depends on attitudes towards inequality, the gap between American and most other rich countries, which have a more equal distribution of income, should be greatly reduced. By this measure, adjusted income per head is higher in France than in America.
Inequality has also risen in recent years in most countries. Assuming again a strong aversion to equality, average adjusted income per head grew by only 0.6% a year in OECD countries between 1985 and 2002, against 1.4% for GDP per head. But such estimates are sensitive to big value judgments. If, instead, people care little about inequality, then the adjustment will be much smaller.
Longer holidays and shorter working hours increasing an individual"s well-being, yet conventional national accounts completely overlook such benefits. America is one of the world"s richest countries, yet its workers toil longer hours than those elsewhere. As a result, adjusting GDP for leisure also narrows the gap between America and Europe.
So far, neither the adjustment for inequality nor that for leisure alone overturns America"s economic superiority. However, if both adjustments were made, then on certain assumptions, the gap between United States and several European countries could vanish.
This does not mean that Europe can afford to abandon economic reforms. Leisure time is valuable, but it will not pay for future pensions. Nevertheless, the OECD is to be congratulated for being the first mainstream organization to challenge the conventional GDP numbers. Its task now is to encourage governments to start producing more relevant statistics.What is the general attitude of the OECD towards GDP

A.GDP is not a reasonable indicator of well-being.
B.GDP is the best available indicator on a timely basis, so there is no need for any reform.
C.When other factors are included, GDP is not very reliable.
D.GDP needs to be complemented by other measures for better economic performance evaluation.
单项选择题

Questions 11~15
For one brief moment in April, Larry Ellison came within a few dollars of being the richest man in the world. The computer tycoon was holding a global conference call on a Wednesday morning, when the value of his company surged.
It was the moment he almost overtook Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, as the wealthiest on the planet. For a few seconds, as share of traders marked Microsoft down and Oracle up, Ellison came within US $ 200,000 of Gates. The self-proclaimed "bad boy" of Silicon Valley found himself worth more than US $ 52 billion, up from a mere US $10 billion this time last year. Then Microsoft"s share price, which had plunged in recent weeks, recovered and the moment passed.
Once, Ellison, founder of the software company Oracle, would have danced around his desk cursing like a pirate at failing to bring down Gates, a rival he had constantly made fun of in public. But Silicon Valley insiders said he remained calm, and muttered: "One day, one day very, very soon." He knew his moment was close.
Unlike Gates, he is not big on charity, preferring to spend his money his way. He has his own private air force, a military-style crew based at San Jose airport near Redwood City, to help him fly his Gulfstream V jet (with two marbled bathrooms), a Marchetti fighter plane imported from Italy, and a handful of other aircraft, including a trainer for his son. He also plans to import a Russian Mig-29 fighter (capable of 1,500 mph). Why does he want one So that, he joked, he can blast Gates" home near Seattle. Cars are cheap and cheerful by comparison. He has a relatively modest Porsche Boxster, two specially altered Mercedes and a US $ 900,000 silver McLaren.
In San Francisco he owns a magnificent house in Pacific Heights, one of Western America"s most expensive stretches of real estate. The house is a technical marvel. When he inserts his key, the opaque glass door turns transparent, revealing a Japanese garden in the middle of the house. For reasons he knows best, Ellison is obsessed with Japanese culture. Though he says he once briefly dated the actress Sharon Stone, Ellison is better known for the number than the fame of his wives. It is said he introduced himself with: "Can I buy you a car" In one year he gave at least four US $ 50,000 cars to young ladies.
While Gates comes from a strong family, Ellison still does not know who his father was. He was born to an unmarried mother and adopted by his Russian uncle and aunt. A brilliant but unpredictable self-promoter, he dropped out of college, drove to California in a battered Thunderbird car and ended up working with computer technicians at a bank. "He always had a champagne lifestyle on beer money," his first wife said.
He set up Oracle in 1977 as a super-salesman with 3 programmers, creating software for businesses. It almost collapsed when it promised more than it could deliver, but since then its fortunes have soared. Now it employs 43,000 people and has designed data-processing systems used by Britain"s M15 spy service as well as big western companies. Oracle"s software is more Internet- friendly than Gates" Windows, one factor behind the company"s recent share price rise.
Since his company got big, Ellison has promised shareholders that he will spend more time in the office. But can he escape being the thrill-seeker he is at heart As summer approaches, he may find it hard to resist the lure of his yachts, Sakura, one of the longest in the world, and Sayonara (Japanese for "see you later"), which he races furiously. It is dangerous sport, even for guests. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch once nearly lost a finger when he grabbed a rope during a race onboard the Sayonara. Ellison joked at least he could "still wrote checks".
Regardless of distractions, Ellison will not give up in his battle against Gates. He hates to lose. Ellison declares that any such dominance by one man, like Microsoft in computer industry, is unhealthy. He has obviously forgotten his own plan for a global empire, which he wanted to call the Universal Titanic Octopus Corporation.In the stock market, ______.

A.Ellison is as rich as Bill Gates
B.Ellison has US $ 200,000 less than Bill Gates
C.Ellison is richer than Bill Gates
D.Oracle has more money than Microsoft
单项选择题

Questions 16~20
Brian Harper knows from personal experience how curious people are about priests and nuns. He began training to be a priest 20 years ago, straight from school, and although he left after two years he has never quite escaped the legacy. Whenever he tells people about that period in his life they fire him with questions about what prompted him to consider that route in the first place.
There are the usual questions about coping with celibacy and the restrictions that this puts on personal relationships. But there is real curiosity, too, about why an "otherwise normal" person would take on such a life.
"There is a genuine interest in the whole area of spirituality and the spiritual life," Harper says, "The contrast has never been greater than it is now between the religious and secular paths. " Many young people head for a life in the church, he says, after attending Catholic schools where the emphasis is placed on religious observance, ritual and the importance of obedience and personal humility. But in today"s world it is becoming increasingly difficult for such young people to ignore what is happening in the secular world behind the church. Many priests and nuns have left the safety of the ordered religious life in the past couple of decades. But they have not done so without a struggle. Harper can identify with the experience of those who leave.
"It is so much easier to join up than it is to quit," he says, "It"s like in personal relationships, they"re easy enough to get into, but extricating yourself from one that"s not working or that you"re not happy with can be very difficult indeed. "
Steven Mc Callanan, a parish priest, is frank about his life in church. He sums it up: "If you are prepared to see life in all its color then go ahead, take orders. But don"t think it will be easy. I face problems every day. "
Harper believes the religious life attracts a true cross-section of people, from the extrovert to the shy and retiring, although many are drawn by the church"s emphasis on ritual and performance. If one were to generalize, though, most priests have the kind of artistic temperaments that would "I know some brilliant men and women in the church, then I know some tried and disillusioned ones and some who are struggling with their own kind of personal demons," says Harper. He says it is a shame that the Catholic community has traditionally put priests on a pedestal, "up there with God", whereas in fact they are just like everyone else: flawed and vulnerable, make them good actors or performance poets-and social drinkers.
"Being a priest just happens to be a career, admittedly a specialized one and one that demands a certain range of qualities. But priests are just as frail and weak as the rest of us."
Harper has made a television programme about priests, monks and nuns in the Catholic Church. The message he gave to those who took part in his documentary was: "We are not trying to trip you up or make you appear strange or foolish. We are just trying to answer what we think are some generally asked questions about your attitudes, your dilemmas, and the kinds of lives you lead. "It makes fascinating viewing.People are always curious about ______.

A.why a person would like to be priest
B.who would like to be priests
C.what is inside a church
D.what education priests may get
单项选择题

Questions 11~15
For one brief moment in April, Larry Ellison came within a few dollars of being the richest man in the world. The computer tycoon was holding a global conference call on a Wednesday morning, when the value of his company surged.
It was the moment he almost overtook Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, as the wealthiest on the planet. For a few seconds, as share of traders marked Microsoft down and Oracle up, Ellison came within US $ 200,000 of Gates. The self-proclaimed "bad boy" of Silicon Valley found himself worth more than US $ 52 billion, up from a mere US $10 billion this time last year. Then Microsoft"s share price, which had plunged in recent weeks, recovered and the moment passed.
Once, Ellison, founder of the software company Oracle, would have danced around his desk cursing like a pirate at failing to bring down Gates, a rival he had constantly made fun of in public. But Silicon Valley insiders said he remained calm, and muttered: "One day, one day very, very soon." He knew his moment was close.
Unlike Gates, he is not big on charity, preferring to spend his money his way. He has his own private air force, a military-style crew based at San Jose airport near Redwood City, to help him fly his Gulfstream V jet (with two marbled bathrooms), a Marchetti fighter plane imported from Italy, and a handful of other aircraft, including a trainer for his son. He also plans to import a Russian Mig-29 fighter (capable of 1,500 mph). Why does he want one So that, he joked, he can blast Gates" home near Seattle. Cars are cheap and cheerful by comparison. He has a relatively modest Porsche Boxster, two specially altered Mercedes and a US $ 900,000 silver McLaren.
In San Francisco he owns a magnificent house in Pacific Heights, one of Western America"s most expensive stretches of real estate. The house is a technical marvel. When he inserts his key, the opaque glass door turns transparent, revealing a Japanese garden in the middle of the house. For reasons he knows best, Ellison is obsessed with Japanese culture. Though he says he once briefly dated the actress Sharon Stone, Ellison is better known for the number than the fame of his wives. It is said he introduced himself with: "Can I buy you a car" In one year he gave at least four US $ 50,000 cars to young ladies.
While Gates comes from a strong family, Ellison still does not know who his father was. He was born to an unmarried mother and adopted by his Russian uncle and aunt. A brilliant but unpredictable self-promoter, he dropped out of college, drove to California in a battered Thunderbird car and ended up working with computer technicians at a bank. "He always had a champagne lifestyle on beer money," his first wife said.
He set up Oracle in 1977 as a super-salesman with 3 programmers, creating software for businesses. It almost collapsed when it promised more than it could deliver, but since then its fortunes have soared. Now it employs 43,000 people and has designed data-processing systems used by Britain"s M15 spy service as well as big western companies. Oracle"s software is more Internet- friendly than Gates" Windows, one factor behind the company"s recent share price rise.
Since his company got big, Ellison has promised shareholders that he will spend more time in the office. But can he escape being the thrill-seeker he is at heart As summer approaches, he may find it hard to resist the lure of his yachts, Sakura, one of the longest in the world, and Sayonara (Japanese for "see you later"), which he races furiously. It is dangerous sport, even for guests. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch once nearly lost a finger when he grabbed a rope during a race onboard the Sayonara. Ellison joked at least he could "still wrote checks".
Regardless of distractions, Ellison will not give up in his battle against Gates. He hates to lose. Ellison declares that any such dominance by one man, like Microsoft in computer industry, is unhealthy. He has obviously forgotten his own plan for a global empire, which he wanted to call the Universal Titanic Octopus Corporation.Unlike Bill Gates, Ellison ______.

A.comes from a strong family
B.has a poor father
C.does not spend much on charity
D.was born in California
单项选择题

Questions 16~20
Brian Harper knows from personal experience how curious people are about priests and nuns. He began training to be a priest 20 years ago, straight from school, and although he left after two years he has never quite escaped the legacy. Whenever he tells people about that period in his life they fire him with questions about what prompted him to consider that route in the first place.
There are the usual questions about coping with celibacy and the restrictions that this puts on personal relationships. But there is real curiosity, too, about why an "otherwise normal" person would take on such a life.
"There is a genuine interest in the whole area of spirituality and the spiritual life," Harper says, "The contrast has never been greater than it is now between the religious and secular paths. " Many young people head for a life in the church, he says, after attending Catholic schools where the emphasis is placed on religious observance, ritual and the importance of obedience and personal humility. But in today"s world it is becoming increasingly difficult for such young people to ignore what is happening in the secular world behind the church. Many priests and nuns have left the safety of the ordered religious life in the past couple of decades. But they have not done so without a struggle. Harper can identify with the experience of those who leave.
"It is so much easier to join up than it is to quit," he says, "It"s like in personal relationships, they"re easy enough to get into, but extricating yourself from one that"s not working or that you"re not happy with can be very difficult indeed. "
Steven Mc Callanan, a parish priest, is frank about his life in church. He sums it up: "If you are prepared to see life in all its color then go ahead, take orders. But don"t think it will be easy. I face problems every day. "
Harper believes the religious life attracts a true cross-section of people, from the extrovert to the shy and retiring, although many are drawn by the church"s emphasis on ritual and performance. If one were to generalize, though, most priests have the kind of artistic temperaments that would "I know some brilliant men and women in the church, then I know some tried and disillusioned ones and some who are struggling with their own kind of personal demons," says Harper. He says it is a shame that the Catholic community has traditionally put priests on a pedestal, "up there with God", whereas in fact they are just like everyone else: flawed and vulnerable, make them good actors or performance poets-and social drinkers.
"Being a priest just happens to be a career, admittedly a specialized one and one that demands a certain range of qualities. But priests are just as frail and weak as the rest of us."
Harper has made a television programme about priests, monks and nuns in the Catholic Church. The message he gave to those who took part in his documentary was: "We are not trying to trip you up or make you appear strange or foolish. We are just trying to answer what we think are some generally asked questions about your attitudes, your dilemmas, and the kinds of lives you lead. "It makes fascinating viewing.Brian Harper wants to be a priest for the reason that ______.

A.there are so few young men who prefer to emphasize religious observance, ritual and the importance of obedience and personal humility
B.his parents thought that it was the legacy for him to take the religious path
C.he has a sincere interest in the whole area of spirituality and the spiritual life
D.he has been considered an abnormal person who takes on such a life
单项选择题

Questions 11~15
For one brief moment in April, Larry Ellison came within a few dollars of being the richest man in the world. The computer tycoon was holding a global conference call on a Wednesday morning, when the value of his company surged.
It was the moment he almost overtook Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, as the wealthiest on the planet. For a few seconds, as share of traders marked Microsoft down and Oracle up, Ellison came within US $ 200,000 of Gates. The self-proclaimed "bad boy" of Silicon Valley found himself worth more than US $ 52 billion, up from a mere US $10 billion this time last year. Then Microsoft"s share price, which had plunged in recent weeks, recovered and the moment passed.
Once, Ellison, founder of the software company Oracle, would have danced around his desk cursing like a pirate at failing to bring down Gates, a rival he had constantly made fun of in public. But Silicon Valley insiders said he remained calm, and muttered: "One day, one day very, very soon." He knew his moment was close.
Unlike Gates, he is not big on charity, preferring to spend his money his way. He has his own private air force, a military-style crew based at San Jose airport near Redwood City, to help him fly his Gulfstream V jet (with two marbled bathrooms), a Marchetti fighter plane imported from Italy, and a handful of other aircraft, including a trainer for his son. He also plans to import a Russian Mig-29 fighter (capable of 1,500 mph). Why does he want one So that, he joked, he can blast Gates" home near Seattle. Cars are cheap and cheerful by comparison. He has a relatively modest Porsche Boxster, two specially altered Mercedes and a US $ 900,000 silver McLaren.
In San Francisco he owns a magnificent house in Pacific Heights, one of Western America"s most expensive stretches of real estate. The house is a technical marvel. When he inserts his key, the opaque glass door turns transparent, revealing a Japanese garden in the middle of the house. For reasons he knows best, Ellison is obsessed with Japanese culture. Though he says he once briefly dated the actress Sharon Stone, Ellison is better known for the number than the fame of his wives. It is said he introduced himself with: "Can I buy you a car" In one year he gave at least four US $ 50,000 cars to young ladies.
While Gates comes from a strong family, Ellison still does not know who his father was. He was born to an unmarried mother and adopted by his Russian uncle and aunt. A brilliant but unpredictable self-promoter, he dropped out of college, drove to California in a battered Thunderbird car and ended up working with computer technicians at a bank. "He always had a champagne lifestyle on beer money," his first wife said.
He set up Oracle in 1977 as a super-salesman with 3 programmers, creating software for businesses. It almost collapsed when it promised more than it could deliver, but since then its fortunes have soared. Now it employs 43,000 people and has designed data-processing systems used by Britain"s M15 spy service as well as big western companies. Oracle"s software is more Internet- friendly than Gates" Windows, one factor behind the company"s recent share price rise.
Since his company got big, Ellison has promised shareholders that he will spend more time in the office. But can he escape being the thrill-seeker he is at heart As summer approaches, he may find it hard to resist the lure of his yachts, Sakura, one of the longest in the world, and Sayonara (Japanese for "see you later"), which he races furiously. It is dangerous sport, even for guests. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch once nearly lost a finger when he grabbed a rope during a race onboard the Sayonara. Ellison joked at least he could "still wrote checks".
Regardless of distractions, Ellison will not give up in his battle against Gates. He hates to lose. Ellison declares that any such dominance by one man, like Microsoft in computer industry, is unhealthy. He has obviously forgotten his own plan for a global empire, which he wanted to call the Universal Titanic Octopus Corporation.Which of the following is NOT Ellison"s belongs

A.A Gulfstream V jet.
B.A Marchetti fighter.
C.A Poesche Boxster.
D.A Russian Mig-29 fighter.
单项选择题

Questions 16~20
Brian Harper knows from personal experience how curious people are about priests and nuns. He began training to be a priest 20 years ago, straight from school, and although he left after two years he has never quite escaped the legacy. Whenever he tells people about that period in his life they fire him with questions about what prompted him to consider that route in the first place.
There are the usual questions about coping with celibacy and the restrictions that this puts on personal relationships. But there is real curiosity, too, about why an "otherwise normal" person would take on such a life.
"There is a genuine interest in the whole area of spirituality and the spiritual life," Harper says, "The contrast has never been greater than it is now between the religious and secular paths. " Many young people head for a life in the church, he says, after attending Catholic schools where the emphasis is placed on religious observance, ritual and the importance of obedience and personal humility. But in today"s world it is becoming increasingly difficult for such young people to ignore what is happening in the secular world behind the church. Many priests and nuns have left the safety of the ordered religious life in the past couple of decades. But they have not done so without a struggle. Harper can identify with the experience of those who leave.
"It is so much easier to join up than it is to quit," he says, "It"s like in personal relationships, they"re easy enough to get into, but extricating yourself from one that"s not working or that you"re not happy with can be very difficult indeed. "
Steven Mc Callanan, a parish priest, is frank about his life in church. He sums it up: "If you are prepared to see life in all its color then go ahead, take orders. But don"t think it will be easy. I face problems every day. "
Harper believes the religious life attracts a true cross-section of people, from the extrovert to the shy and retiring, although many are drawn by the church"s emphasis on ritual and performance. If one were to generalize, though, most priests have the kind of artistic temperaments that would "I know some brilliant men and women in the church, then I know some tried and disillusioned ones and some who are struggling with their own kind of personal demons," says Harper. He says it is a shame that the Catholic community has traditionally put priests on a pedestal, "up there with God", whereas in fact they are just like everyone else: flawed and vulnerable, make them good actors or performance poets-and social drinkers.
"Being a priest just happens to be a career, admittedly a specialized one and one that demands a certain range of qualities. But priests are just as frail and weak as the rest of us."
Harper has made a television programme about priests, monks and nuns in the Catholic Church. The message he gave to those who took part in his documentary was: "We are not trying to trip you up or make you appear strange or foolish. We are just trying to answer what we think are some generally asked questions about your attitudes, your dilemmas, and the kinds of lives you lead. "It makes fascinating viewing.According to Brian Harper, to quit being a priest ______.

A.is like in personal relationship
B.is not allowed
C.is impossible
D.is really difficult
单项选择题

Questions 11~15
For one brief moment in April, Larry Ellison came within a few dollars of being the richest man in the world. The computer tycoon was holding a global conference call on a Wednesday morning, when the value of his company surged.
It was the moment he almost overtook Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, as the wealthiest on the planet. For a few seconds, as share of traders marked Microsoft down and Oracle up, Ellison came within US $ 200,000 of Gates. The self-proclaimed "bad boy" of Silicon Valley found himself worth more than US $ 52 billion, up from a mere US $10 billion this time last year. Then Microsoft"s share price, which had plunged in recent weeks, recovered and the moment passed.
Once, Ellison, founder of the software company Oracle, would have danced around his desk cursing like a pirate at failing to bring down Gates, a rival he had constantly made fun of in public. But Silicon Valley insiders said he remained calm, and muttered: "One day, one day very, very soon." He knew his moment was close.
Unlike Gates, he is not big on charity, preferring to spend his money his way. He has his own private air force, a military-style crew based at San Jose airport near Redwood City, to help him fly his Gulfstream V jet (with two marbled bathrooms), a Marchetti fighter plane imported from Italy, and a handful of other aircraft, including a trainer for his son. He also plans to import a Russian Mig-29 fighter (capable of 1,500 mph). Why does he want one So that, he joked, he can blast Gates" home near Seattle. Cars are cheap and cheerful by comparison. He has a relatively modest Porsche Boxster, two specially altered Mercedes and a US $ 900,000 silver McLaren.
In San Francisco he owns a magnificent house in Pacific Heights, one of Western America"s most expensive stretches of real estate. The house is a technical marvel. When he inserts his key, the opaque glass door turns transparent, revealing a Japanese garden in the middle of the house. For reasons he knows best, Ellison is obsessed with Japanese culture. Though he says he once briefly dated the actress Sharon Stone, Ellison is better known for the number than the fame of his wives. It is said he introduced himself with: "Can I buy you a car" In one year he gave at least four US $ 50,000 cars to young ladies.
While Gates comes from a strong family, Ellison still does not know who his father was. He was born to an unmarried mother and adopted by his Russian uncle and aunt. A brilliant but unpredictable self-promoter, he dropped out of college, drove to California in a battered Thunderbird car and ended up working with computer technicians at a bank. "He always had a champagne lifestyle on beer money," his first wife said.
He set up Oracle in 1977 as a super-salesman with 3 programmers, creating software for businesses. It almost collapsed when it promised more than it could deliver, but since then its fortunes have soared. Now it employs 43,000 people and has designed data-processing systems used by Britain"s M15 spy service as well as big western companies. Oracle"s software is more Internet- friendly than Gates" Windows, one factor behind the company"s recent share price rise.
Since his company got big, Ellison has promised shareholders that he will spend more time in the office. But can he escape being the thrill-seeker he is at heart As summer approaches, he may find it hard to resist the lure of his yachts, Sakura, one of the longest in the world, and Sayonara (Japanese for "see you later"), which he races furiously. It is dangerous sport, even for guests. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch once nearly lost a finger when he grabbed a rope during a race onboard the Sayonara. Ellison joked at least he could "still wrote checks".
Regardless of distractions, Ellison will not give up in his battle against Gates. He hates to lose. Ellison declares that any such dominance by one man, like Microsoft in computer industry, is unhealthy. He has obviously forgotten his own plan for a global empire, which he wanted to call the Universal Titanic Octopus Corporation.Which of the following is TRUE

A.Ellison has had many wives.
B.Ellison"s wives are famous.
C.Ellison is more famous for many wives than for money.
D.Ellison is more famous for many wives than for their popularity.
单项选择题

Questions 16~20
Brian Harper knows from personal experience how curious people are about priests and nuns. He began training to be a priest 20 years ago, straight from school, and although he left after two years he has never quite escaped the legacy. Whenever he tells people about that period in his life they fire him with questions about what prompted him to consider that route in the first place.
There are the usual questions about coping with celibacy and the restrictions that this puts on personal relationships. But there is real curiosity, too, about why an "otherwise normal" person would take on such a life.
"There is a genuine interest in the whole area of spirituality and the spiritual life," Harper says, "The contrast has never been greater than it is now between the religious and secular paths. " Many young people head for a life in the church, he says, after attending Catholic schools where the emphasis is placed on religious observance, ritual and the importance of obedience and personal humility. But in today"s world it is becoming increasingly difficult for such young people to ignore what is happening in the secular world behind the church. Many priests and nuns have left the safety of the ordered religious life in the past couple of decades. But they have not done so without a struggle. Harper can identify with the experience of those who leave.
"It is so much easier to join up than it is to quit," he says, "It"s like in personal relationships, they"re easy enough to get into, but extricating yourself from one that"s not working or that you"re not happy with can be very difficult indeed. "
Steven Mc Callanan, a parish priest, is frank about his life in church. He sums it up: "If you are prepared to see life in all its color then go ahead, take orders. But don"t think it will be easy. I face problems every day. "
Harper believes the religious life attracts a true cross-section of people, from the extrovert to the shy and retiring, although many are drawn by the church"s emphasis on ritual and performance. If one were to generalize, though, most priests have the kind of artistic temperaments that would "I know some brilliant men and women in the church, then I know some tried and disillusioned ones and some who are struggling with their own kind of personal demons," says Harper. He says it is a shame that the Catholic community has traditionally put priests on a pedestal, "up there with God", whereas in fact they are just like everyone else: flawed and vulnerable, make them good actors or performance poets-and social drinkers.
"Being a priest just happens to be a career, admittedly a specialized one and one that demands a certain range of qualities. But priests are just as frail and weak as the rest of us."
Harper has made a television programme about priests, monks and nuns in the Catholic Church. The message he gave to those who took part in his documentary was: "We are not trying to trip you up or make you appear strange or foolish. We are just trying to answer what we think are some generally asked questions about your attitudes, your dilemmas, and the kinds of lives you lead. "It makes fascinating viewing.Brian Harper says that priests ______.

A.are not vulnerable
B.are just normal people
C.do not have dilemmas
D.are usually kind
单项选择题

Questions 11~15
For one brief moment in April, Larry Ellison came within a few dollars of being the richest man in the world. The computer tycoon was holding a global conference call on a Wednesday morning, when the value of his company surged.
It was the moment he almost overtook Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, as the wealthiest on the planet. For a few seconds, as share of traders marked Microsoft down and Oracle up, Ellison came within US $ 200,000 of Gates. The self-proclaimed "bad boy" of Silicon Valley found himself worth more than US $ 52 billion, up from a mere US $10 billion this time last year. Then Microsoft"s share price, which had plunged in recent weeks, recovered and the moment passed.
Once, Ellison, founder of the software company Oracle, would have danced around his desk cursing like a pirate at failing to bring down Gates, a rival he had constantly made fun of in public. But Silicon Valley insiders said he remained calm, and muttered: "One day, one day very, very soon." He knew his moment was close.
Unlike Gates, he is not big on charity, preferring to spend his money his way. He has his own private air force, a military-style crew based at San Jose airport near Redwood City, to help him fly his Gulfstream V jet (with two marbled bathrooms), a Marchetti fighter plane imported from Italy, and a handful of other aircraft, including a trainer for his son. He also plans to import a Russian Mig-29 fighter (capable of 1,500 mph). Why does he want one So that, he joked, he can blast Gates" home near Seattle. Cars are cheap and cheerful by comparison. He has a relatively modest Porsche Boxster, two specially altered Mercedes and a US $ 900,000 silver McLaren.
In San Francisco he owns a magnificent house in Pacific Heights, one of Western America"s most expensive stretches of real estate. The house is a technical marvel. When he inserts his key, the opaque glass door turns transparent, revealing a Japanese garden in the middle of the house. For reasons he knows best, Ellison is obsessed with Japanese culture. Though he says he once briefly dated the actress Sharon Stone, Ellison is better known for the number than the fame of his wives. It is said he introduced himself with: "Can I buy you a car" In one year he gave at least four US $ 50,000 cars to young ladies.
While Gates comes from a strong family, Ellison still does not know who his father was. He was born to an unmarried mother and adopted by his Russian uncle and aunt. A brilliant but unpredictable self-promoter, he dropped out of college, drove to California in a battered Thunderbird car and ended up working with computer technicians at a bank. "He always had a champagne lifestyle on beer money," his first wife said.
He set up Oracle in 1977 as a super-salesman with 3 programmers, creating software for businesses. It almost collapsed when it promised more than it could deliver, but since then its fortunes have soared. Now it employs 43,000 people and has designed data-processing systems used by Britain"s M15 spy service as well as big western companies. Oracle"s software is more Internet- friendly than Gates" Windows, one factor behind the company"s recent share price rise.
Since his company got big, Ellison has promised shareholders that he will spend more time in the office. But can he escape being the thrill-seeker he is at heart As summer approaches, he may find it hard to resist the lure of his yachts, Sakura, one of the longest in the world, and Sayonara (Japanese for "see you later"), which he races furiously. It is dangerous sport, even for guests. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch once nearly lost a finger when he grabbed a rope during a race onboard the Sayonara. Ellison joked at least he could "still wrote checks".
Regardless of distractions, Ellison will not give up in his battle against Gates. He hates to lose. Ellison declares that any such dominance by one man, like Microsoft in computer industry, is unhealthy. He has obviously forgotten his own plan for a global empire, which he wanted to call the Universal Titanic Octopus Corporation.Oracle"s advantage is that ______.

A.its share price is pretty high
B.it has more employees than Microsoft
C.it"s the biggest western company.
D.its software is more Internet-friendly than Gates" Window
单项选择题

Questions 16~20
Brian Harper knows from personal experience how curious people are about priests and nuns. He began training to be a priest 20 years ago, straight from school, and although he left after two years he has never quite escaped the legacy. Whenever he tells people about that period in his life they fire him with questions about what prompted him to consider that route in the first place.
There are the usual questions about coping with celibacy and the restrictions that this puts on personal relationships. But there is real curiosity, too, about why an "otherwise normal" person would take on such a life.
"There is a genuine interest in the whole area of spirituality and the spiritual life," Harper says, "The contrast has never been greater than it is now between the religious and secular paths. " Many young people head for a life in the church, he says, after attending Catholic schools where the emphasis is placed on religious observance, ritual and the importance of obedience and personal humility. But in today"s world it is becoming increasingly difficult for such young people to ignore what is happening in the secular world behind the church. Many priests and nuns have left the safety of the ordered religious life in the past couple of decades. But they have not done so without a struggle. Harper can identify with the experience of those who leave.
"It is so much easier to join up than it is to quit," he says, "It"s like in personal relationships, they"re easy enough to get into, but extricating yourself from one that"s not working or that you"re not happy with can be very difficult indeed. "
Steven Mc Callanan, a parish priest, is frank about his life in church. He sums it up: "If you are prepared to see life in all its color then go ahead, take orders. But don"t think it will be easy. I face problems every day. "
Harper believes the religious life attracts a true cross-section of people, from the extrovert to the shy and retiring, although many are drawn by the church"s emphasis on ritual and performance. If one were to generalize, though, most priests have the kind of artistic temperaments that would "I know some brilliant men and women in the church, then I know some tried and disillusioned ones and some who are struggling with their own kind of personal demons," says Harper. He says it is a shame that the Catholic community has traditionally put priests on a pedestal, "up there with God", whereas in fact they are just like everyone else: flawed and vulnerable, make them good actors or performance poets-and social drinkers.
"Being a priest just happens to be a career, admittedly a specialized one and one that demands a certain range of qualities. But priests are just as frail and weak as the rest of us."
Harper has made a television programme about priests, monks and nuns in the Catholic Church. The message he gave to those who took part in his documentary was: "We are not trying to trip you up or make you appear strange or foolish. We are just trying to answer what we think are some generally asked questions about your attitudes, your dilemmas, and the kinds of lives you lead. "It makes fascinating viewing.Harper has made a television program to ______.

A.raise questions about the Catholic Church
B.trip the audience up
C.make the Catholic Church appear interesting
D.answer the usual questions about priests and nuns
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