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1、Text1Habits are a funny thing.We reach for them mindlessly,setting our brains on auto-pilot andrelaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine.Not choice,but habit rules theunreflecting herd,William Wordsworth said in the 19th century.In the ever-changing 21st century,even the word habit c
2、arries a negative connotation.So it seems antithetical to talk about habits in the same context as creativity and innovation.But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits,we createparallel synaptic paths,and even entirely new brain cells,that can jump our trains o
3、f thought ontonew,innovative tracks.But dont bother trying to kill off old habits;once those ruts of procedure are worn into thehippocampus,theyre there to stay.Instead,the new habits we deliberately ingrain into ourselvescreate parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.The first thing neede
4、d for innovation is a fascination with wonder,says Dawna Markova,author of The Open Mind and an executive change consultant for Professional Thinking Partners.But we are taught instead to decide,just as our president calls himself the Decider.She adds,however,that to decide is to kill off all possib
5、ilities but one.A good innovational thinker is alwaysexploring the many other possibilities.All of us work through problems in ways of which were unaware,she says.Researchers in thelate 1960 covered that humans are born with the capacity to approach challenges in four primaryways:analytically,proced
6、urally,relationally and innovatively.At puberty,however,the brain shuts down half of that capacity,preserving only those modes of thought thathave seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure,meaningthat few
7、 of us inherently use our innovative and collaborative modes of thought.This breaks the1/9major rule in the American belief system that anyone can do anything,explains M.J.Ryan,author of the 2006 book This Year I Will.and Ms.Markovas business partner.Thats a lie thatwe have perpetuated,and it foster
8、s commonness.Knowing what youre good at and doing evenmore of it creates excellence.This is where developing new habits comes in.21.The view of Wordsworth habit is claimed by beingA.casual B.familiar C.mechanical D.changeable.22.The researchers have discovered that the formation of habit can beA.pre
9、dicted B.regulated C.traced D.guided23.ruts has closest meaning toA.tracks B.series C.characteristics D.connections24.Ms.Markovas comments suggest that the practice of standard testing?A,prevents new habits form being formedB,no longer emphasizes commonnessC,maintains the inherent American thinking
10、modelD,complies with the American belief system25.Ryan most probably agree thatA.ideas are born of a relaxing mindB.innovativeness could be taughtC.decisiveness derives from fantastic ideasD.curiosity activates creative mindsText 2Over the past decade,thousands of patents have been granted for what
11、are called businessmethods.Amazon received one for its one-click online payment system.Merrill Lynch got legalprotection for an asset allocation strategy.One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box.2/9Nowthenations toppatentcourtappearscompletelyreadytoscalebackonbusiness-method patents,whic
12、h have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10years ago.In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz,the U.S.Court of Appeals for theFederal Circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-methodpatents.In re Bilski,as the case is known
13、,is a very big deal,says Dennis D.Crouch of theUniversity of Missouri School of Law.It has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents.Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face,because it was the FederalCircuit itself that introduced such patents with its 1998 decision
14、 in the so-called State Street Bankcase,approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets.That ruling produced anexplosion in business-method patent filings,initially by emerging Internet companies trying tostake out exclusive fights to specific types of online transactions.Later,more establ
15、ishedcompanies raced to add such patents to their files,if only as a defensive move against rivals thatmight beat them to the punch.In 2005,IBM noted in a court filing that it had been issued morethan 300 business-method patents,despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for grantingthem.Si
16、milarly,some Wall Street investment farms armed themselves with patents for financialproducts,even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice.The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market.The Federal Circuit issued an unusual order stati
17、ng that the case would be heard by all 12 of thecourts judges,rather than a typical panel of three,and that one issue it wants to evaluate iswhether it should reconsider its State Street Bank ruling.The Federal Circuits action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the SupremeCourt tha
18、t has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders.Last April,for example,thejustices signaled that too many patents were being upheld forinventions that are obvious.Thejudges on the Federal Circuit are reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court,says3/9Harold C.Wegner,a patent at
19、torney and professor at George Washington University Law School.26.Business-method patents have recently aroused concern because ofA their limited value to businesses.B their connection with asset allocation.C the possible restriction on their granting.D the controversy over their authorization.27.W
20、hich of the following is true of the Bilski case?A Its ruling complies with the court decisions.B It involves a very big business transaction.C It has been dismissed by the FederalCircuit.D It may change the legal practices in the U.S.28.The word about-face most probably meansA loss of goodwill.B in
21、crease of hostility.C change of attitude.D enhancement of dignity.29.We learn from the last two paragraphs that business-method patentsA are immune to legal challenges.B are often unnecessarily issued.C lower the esteem for patent holders.D increase the incidence of risks.30.Which of the following w
22、ould be the subject of the text?A A looming threat to business-method patents.B Protection for business-method patent holders.4/9C A legal case regarding business-method patents.D A prevailing trend against business-method patents.Text 3 The relationship between formal education and economic growth
23、in poor countries is widelymisunderstood by economists and politicians alike progress in both area is undoubtedly necessaryfor the social,political and intellectual development of these and all other societies;however,theconventional view that education should be one of the very highest priorities f
24、or promoting rapideconomic development in poor countries is wrong.We are fortunate that is it,because neweducational systems there and putting enough people through them to improve economicperformance would require two or three generations.The findings of a research institution haveconsistently show
25、n that workers in all countries can be trained on the job to achieve radical higherproductivity and,as a result,radically higher standards of living.Ironically,the first evidence for this idea appeared in the United States.Not long ago,with thecountry entering a recessing and Japan at its pre-bubble
26、 peak.The U.S.workforce was derided aspoorly educated and one of primary cause of the poor U.S.economic performance.Japan was,andremains,the global leader in automotive-assembly productivity.Yet the research revealed that theU.S.factories of Honda Nissan,and Toyota achieved about 95 percent of the p
27、roductivity of theirJapanese countere pants a result of the training that U.S.workers received on the job.More recently,while examing housing construction,the researchers discovered that illiterate,non-English-speaking Mexican workers in Houston,Texas,consistently met best-practice laborproductivity
28、 standards despite the complexity of the building industrys work.What is the real relationship between education and economic development?We have tosuspect that continuing economic growth promotes the development of education even whengovernments dont force it.After all,thats how education got start
29、ed.When our ancestors werehunters and gatherers 10,000 years ago,they didnt have time to wonder much about anything5/9besides finding food.Only when humanity began to get its food in a more productive way wasthere time for other things.As education improved,humanitys productivity potential,they coul
30、d in turn afford moreeducation.This increasingly high level of education is probably a necessary,but not a sufficient,condition for the complex political systems required by advanced economic performance.Thuspoor countries might not be able to escape their poverty traps without political changes tha
31、t maybe possible only with broader formal education.A lack of formal education,however,doesntconstrain the ability of the developing worlds workforce to substantially improve productivity forthe forested future.On the contrary,constraints on improving productivity explain why educationisnt developin
32、g more quickly there than it is.31.The author holds in paragraph 1 that the important of education in poor countries_.A is subject groundless doubtsB has fallen victim of biasC is conventional downgradedD has been overestimated32.It is stated in paragraph 1 that construction of a new education syste
33、m _.Achallenges economists and politiciansBtakes efforts of generationsC demands priority from the governmentD requires sufficient labor force33.A major difference between the Japanese and U.S workforces is that _.A the Japanese workforce is better disciplinedB the Japanese workforce is more product
34、ive6/9Cthe U.S workforce has a better educationD the U.S workforce is more organize34.The author quotes the example of our ancestors to show that education emerged_.A when people had enough timeB prior to better ways of finding foodC when people on longer went hungD as a result of pressure on govern
35、ment35.According to the last paragraph,development of education _.A results directly from competitive environmentsB does not depend on economic performanceC follows improved productivityD cannot afford political changesText 4Bankers have been blaming themselves for their troubles in public.Behind th
36、e scenes,theyhave been taking aim at someone else:the accounting standard-setters.Their rules,moan thebanks,have forced them to report enormous losses,and its just not fair.These rules say they mustvalue some assets at the price a third party would pay,not the price managers and regulatorswould like
37、 them to fetch.Unfortunately,banks lobbying now seems to be working.The details may be unknowable,butthe independence of standard-setters,essential to the proper functioning of capitaI markets,isbeing compromised.And,unless banks carry toxic assets at prices that attract buyers,reviving thebanking s
38、ystem will be difficult.After a bruising encounter with Congress,Americas Financial Accounting Standards Board7/9 rushed through rule changes.These gave banks more freedom to use models to valueilliquid assets and more flexibility in recognizing losses on long-term assets in their incomestatements.B
39、ob Herz,the FASBs chairman,cried out against those who question our motives.Yet bank shares rose and the changes enhance what one lobbying group politely calls the use ofjudgment by management.European ministers instantly demanded that the International Accounting Standards Board do likewise.The IAS
40、B says it does not want to act without overall planning,but thepressure to fold when it completes its reconstruction of rules later this year is strong.CharlieMcCreevy,a European commissioner,warned the IASB that it did not live in a political vacuumbut in the real world and that Europe could yet de
41、velop different rules.It was banks that were on the wrong planet,with accounts that vastly overvalued assets.Todaythey argue that market prices overstate losses,because they largely reflect the temporaryilliquidity of markets,not the likely extent of bad debts.The truth will not be known for years.B
42、utbanks shares trade below their book value,suggesting that investors are skeptical.And deadmarkets partly reflect the paralysis of banks which will not sell assets for fear of booking losses,yetare reluctant to buy all those supposed bargains.To get the system working again,losses must be recognize
43、d and dealt with.Americas newplan to buy up toxic assets will not work unless banks mark assets to levels which buyers findattractive.Successful markets require independent and even combative standard-setters.The FASBand IASB have been exactly that,cleaning up rules on stock options and pensions,for
44、 example,against hostility from special interests.But by giving in to critics now they are inviting pressure tomake more concessions.36.Bankers complained that they were forced toA follow unfavorable asset evaluation rules.8/9B collect payments frorn third parties.C cooperate with the price managers
45、.D reevaluate some of their assets.37.According to the author,the rule changes of the FASB may result inA the diminishing role of management.B the revival of the banking system.C the banks long-term asset losses.D the weakening of its independence.38.According to Paragraph 4,McCreevy objects to the
46、IASBs attempt toA keep away from political influences.B evade the pressure from their peers.C act on their own in rule-setting.D take gradual measures in reform.39.The author thinks the banks were on the wrong planet in that theyA misinterpreted market price indicators.B exaggerated the real value of their assets.C neglected the likely existence of bad debts.D denied booking losses in their sale of assets.40.The authors attitude towards standard-setters is one ofA satisfaction.B skepticism.C objectiveness.D sympathy.9/9