题目内容
Why doesn’t the unemployment rate ever reach zero? Economists, who generally believe that supply tends to meet demand, have long thought about this question. Even in good times, i.e. not now, there are people who can’t find work. And even in bad times, i.e. now, there are job openings. With over 14 million people out of work and looking for a job, you would think every available job would be filled. But that’s not the case. Not now and not ever.
On Monday, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize for economics to the three scholars who have done the most to explain this phenomenon. Two of the winners are Americans, Peter Diamond of MIT and Dale Mortensen of Northwestern. The third winner is Christopher Pissarides, who teaches at the London School of Economics and was born on Cyprus.
Like most of economics, what they have found about why the jobless and ready-employers don’t find each other seems obvious. You have to find out there is job opening you are interested in. Employers need to get resumes （简历）. It takes a while for both employers and employees to make the decision that this is what they want. And these guys came up with a frame-work to study the problem of why people stay unemployed longer than they should and what can be done about it.
So what would today’s Nobel Prize winners do to solve the current problem of the unemployed? And does the awarding of the prize contribute to the politicians’ lowering joblessness?
Speaking from his north London home, Pissarides told The Associated Press the announcement came as “a complete surprise” though his work had already helped shape thinking on both sides of the Atlantic.
For example, the New Deal for Young People, a British government policy aimed at getting 18-24-year-olds back on the job market after long periods of unemployment, “is very much based on our work,” he said.
“One of the key things we found is that it is important to make sure that people do not stay unemployed too long so they don’t lose their feel for the labor force,” Pissarides told reporters in London. “The ways of dealing with this need not be expensive training – it could be as simple as providing work experience.”
According to the writer, which is true about finding jobs?
A. It is always difficult to find a job.
B. Everyone can find a job in good times.
C. Contrary to popular belief, it is easier to find a job in bad times.
D. It is possible to find a job even in times as bad as now.
What is it that leads to their winning the prize?
A. They have found the reason for unemployment.
B. They have put forward a set of ideas to deal with unemployment.
C. They have found out why people don’t want to be employed.
D. They have long studied the problem of unemployment.
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Pissarides thinks his work surprising.
B. The work of Pissarides has influenced many economists.
C. Some of the winners’ ideas have been put into practice.
D. It is probable that unemployed young people in Britain benefit from Pissarides’ work.
According to Pissarides, _________ is effrctive in dealing with unemployment.
A. spending large sums of money on training
B. teaching some knowledge of economics
C. providing work experience
D. keeping people unemployed for some time
According to Pissarides, _________ is effective in dealing with unemployment.
When an ant dies, other ants move the dead insect out. Sometimes, the dead ant get moved away very soon—within an hour of dying. This behavior is interesting to scientists, who wonder how ants know for sure—and so soon—that another ant is dead. One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist. Choe found that Argentine ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead—take me away.” But there’s a twist to Choe’s discovery. Choe says that the living ants—not just the dead ones —have this death chemical. In other words, while an ant crawls around, perhaps in a picnic or home, it’s telling other ants that it’s dead. What keeps ants from dragging away the living ants? Choe found that Argentine ants have two additional chemicals on their bodies, and these tell nearby ants something like, “Wait—I’m not dead yet.” So Choe’s research turned up two sets of chemical signals in ants: one says, “I’m dead,” and the other set says, “I’m not dead yet.” Other scientists have tried to figure out how ants know when another ant is dead. If an ant is knocked unconscious, for example, other ants leave it alone until it wakes up. That means ants know that unmoving ants can still be alive.Choe suspects that when an Argentine ant dies, the chemical that says “Wait- I’m not dead yet” quickly goes away. Once that chemical is gone, only the one that says “I’m dead” is left. “It’s because the dead ant no longer smells like a living ant that it gets carried to the graveyard, not because its body releases new unique chemicals after death,” said Choe. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they drag away the body.Understanding this behavior may help scientists figure out how to stop Argentine ants from invading new places and causing problems. Choe would like to find a way to use the newly discovered chemicals to spread ant killer to Argentine ant nests.The ants’ removal behavior is important to the overall health of the nest. “Being able to quickly remove dead individuals and other possible sources of disease is extremely important to all animals living in societies, including us,” says Choe. “Think about all the effort and money that we invest daily in waste management.”51. The underlined word “twist” in Paragraph 3 means _____. A. an unexpected change B. a clear mistake C. an important key D. a shocking conclusion52. Ants judge whether another one is dead or not depending on ______. A. the sense of taste B. the sense of smell C. the sense of touch D. the sense of sight53. The result of the research can be used to ______. A. kill troublesome pests B. solve the problem of endangered species C. prevent further expansion of the ants’ territory D. keep the balance of nature54. Why is it important to remove dead individuals? A. Because it is easier to manage the living. B. Because it can save money to deal with the waste. C. Because it can provide more space for the living. D. Because it can keep the living from suffering disease.55. What might be the best title of the text? A. Dead or living? It is easy to judge B. Pulling away the dead ants is a difficult task C. Ant nests have great undertaking capacityD. Leaving it alone or taking it away? Ants feel puzzled
Researchers are placing robotic dogs (机器狗) in the homes of lonely people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and left satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated (刺激),” Edwards points out. “ The problem is how we promote (使成为现实) that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.” In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner. “I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.” The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns. “At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not funny,” Beck says. “But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.” “Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”48. The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to ______.A. understand human-animal relationshipB. make lonely old people’s life betterC. find the causes of old people’s lonelinessD. promote the animal-assisted research49. What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?A. It is easier to keep at home. B. It can help the disabled people.C. It responds to all the human orders D. It can watch TV with its owner.50. The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may_____.A. cure certain diseasesB. keep old people activeC. change people’s beliefsD. look more like real dogs
Now some women are spending a weekend at Mother’s Camp（营地）. There, husbands and children are not allowed. Why would a woman want to take a vacation without her family? Some women say they need time to be alone.
At Mother’s Camp a woman has room to herself. She can sleep, read or watch TV, and no one will bother her. No children will ask, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” No husband will say, “Oh, dear, I can’t find any clean socks.” In fact almost 50% of women in the United States work outside the home. Many of them work full-time and then come home to a second job----taking care of their homes and families. These working women say one of their biggest problems is housework.
In the United States, working wives do about 75% of the housework. Many of their husbands say they want to help. But then they burn the rice or they can’t find the pans. They ask so many questions that their wives decide it is easier to do the job themselves.
Some women go to Mother’s Camp just to get a break from housework. For two days they don’t cook, they don’t clean, they don’t look after their children and husbands. What do they do? They enjoy warm, sunny weather, walking, swimming or boating in a clear blue lake and sing songs around the campfire. They relax away from home. They have a really wonderful vacation at Mother’s Camp.
1. From this passage we can see in the United States.
A．women want to work outside the home
B．working wives do most of the housework
C．husbands do as much housework as their wives
D．women do not like to stay at home with their families
2.At Mother’s Camp, women can’t .
A．watch TV B．read newspapers
C．swim in the lake D．bring their husbands and children
3.Why would some mothers like to be alone? Because .
A． they don’t like their husbands and children
B． they have to work full-time
C． they are too busy to relax themselves
D． they want a new life
4. is one of the biggest troubles for working wives in the United States.
A．Housework B． Working outside the home
C．When to take a vacation D． Looking after their children
5.What’s the best title for this passage?
A．Busy Working Mothers B．Welcome to Mother’s Camp
C．Mothers Relax Away from Home D．Mothers in the US
Understanding this behavior may help scientists figure out how to stop Argentine ants from invading new places and causing problems. Choe would like to find a way to use the newly discovered chemicals to spread ant killer to Argentine ant nests.