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Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 14
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 16
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 18
OnegreatbenefitoftheWebisthatitallowsustomoveinformationonlinethatnowresidesinpaperform.SeveralstatesinAmericaareusingtheWebinaprofoundway.Youcanapplyforvariouspermitsorsubmitapplicationsforbusinesslicences.Somestatesareputtinguplistingsofjobs—notjuststategovernmentjobsbutallthejobsavailableinthestate.IbelieveovertimethatalltheinformationthatgovernmentsprintandallthosepaperformstheynowhavewillbemovedontotheInternet.Electroniccommercenotchesupmonth-by-monthtoo.ItisdifficulttomeasurebecausealotofelectroniccommerceinvolvesexistingbuyersandsellerswhoaresimplymovingpaperbasedtransactionstotheWeb.Thatisnotnewbusiness.MicrosoftforexamplepurchasesmillionsofdollarsofPCsonlineinsteadofbypaper.Howeverthatisnotafundamentalchange;ithasjustimprovedtheefficiencyofanexistingprocess.Thebiggestimpacthasoccurredwhereelectroniccommercematchesbuyersandsellerswhowouldnotpreviouslyhavefoundeachother.Whenyougotoabooksiteandfindanobscurebookthatyouneverwouldhavefoundinaphysicalbookstorethatisanewtypeofcommerce.TodayabouthalfofallPCsarestillnotconnectedtotheWeb.Gettingcommunicationscostsdownandmakingallthesoftwaresimplerwillbringinthosepeople.AndthatinturnwillmoveusclosertothecriticalmassthatwillmaketheWeblifestyleeveryone’slifestyle.Oneclementthatpeopleunderestimateisthedegreetowhichthehardwareandsoftwarewillimprove.Justtakeoneaspect:screentechnology.Idomye-mailona20-inchliquidcrystaldisplayLCDmonitor.Itisnotavailableatareasonablepriceyetbutintwoyearsitwillbe.Intenyearsa40-inchLCDwithmuchhigherresolutionwillbecommonplace.TheboundarybetweenatelevisionsetandaPCwillbeblurredbecauseeventheset-topboxthatyouconnectuptoyourcableorsatellitewillhaveaprocessormorepowerfulthanwhatwehavetodayinthemostexpensivePC.Thiswillineffectmakeyourtelevisionacomputer.InteractionwiththeWebalsowillimprovemakingitmucheasierforpeopletobeinvolved.TodaythekeywordsweusetosearchtheWeboftenreturntotoomanyarticlestosortthroughmanyofthemoutofcontext.Ifyouwanttolearnaboutthefastestcomputerchipavailableyoumightendupgettingresponsesinsteadaboutpotatochipsbeingdeliveredinfasttrucks.Inthefutureweshallbeeitherspeakingortypingsentencesintothecomputer.Ifyouaskaboutthespeedofchipstheresultwillbeaboutcomputersnotpotatoes.Speechrecognitionalsomeansthatyouwillbeabletocallinonaphoneandaskifyouhaveanynewmessagesorcheckonaflightorcheckontheweather.Topredictthatitwilltakeovertenyearsforthesechangestohappenisprobablypessimistic.Weusuallyoverestimatewhatwecandointwoyearsandunderestimatewhatwecandointen.TheWebwillbeasmuchawayoflifeasthecarby2008.Probablybefore.Theuseofcomputerwillbeascommonastheuseofcarswhen______.
Text3Themarveloustelephoneandtelevisionnetworkthathasnowenmeshedthewholeworldmakingallmenneighborscannotbeextendedintospace.Itwillneverbepossibletoconversewithanyoneonanotherplanet.Evenwithtoday’sradioequipmentthemessageswilltakeminutes—sometimeshours—ontheirjourneybecauseradioandlightwavestravelatthesamelimitedspeedof186000milesasecond.TwentyyearsfromnowyouwillbeabletolistentoafriendonMarsbutthewordsyouhearwillhavelefthismouthatleastthreeminutesearlierandyourreplywilltakeacorrespondingtimetoreachhim.Insuchcircumstancesanexchangeofverbalmessagesispossible—butnotaconversation.Toaculturewhichhascometotakeinstantaneouscommunicationforgrantedaspartoftheverystructureofcivilizedlifethistimebarriermayhaveaprofoundpsychologicalimpact.Itwillbeaperpetualreminderofuniversallawsandlimitationsagainstwhichnotallourtechnologycaneverprevail.Foritseemsascertainasanythingcanbethatnosignal—stilllessanymaterialobject—canevertravelfasterthanlight.Thevelocityoflightistheultimatespeedlimitbeingpartoftheverystructureofspaceandtime.Withinthenarrowconfinesofthesolarsystemitwillnothandicapustooseverely.Attheworstthesewillamounttotwentyhours—thetimeittakesaradiosignaltospantheorbitofPlutotheouter-mostplanet.Itiswhenwemoveoutbeyondtheconfinesofthesolarsystemthatwecomefacetolacewithanaltogetherneworderofcosmicreality.Eventodaymanyotherwiseeducatedmen—likethosesavageswhocancounttothreebutlumptogetherallnumbersbeyondfour—cannotgrasptheprofounddistinctionbetweensolarandstellarspace.Thefirstisthespaceenclosingourneighbouringworldstheplanets;thesecondisthatwhichembracesthosedistantsunsthestarsanditisliterallymillionsoftimesgreater.Thereisnosuchabruptchangeofscaleintheterrestrialaffairs.Manyconservativescientistsappalledbythesecosmicgulfshavedeniedthattheycaneverbecrossed.Somepeopleneverlearn;thosewhosixtyyearsagoscoffedatthepossibilityofflightandtenyearsagolaughedattheideaoftraveltotheplanetsarenowquitesurethatthestarswillalwaysbebeyondourreach.Andagaintheyarewrongfortheyhavefailedtograspthegreatlessonofourage—thatifsomethingispossibleintheoryandnofundamentalscientificlawsopposeitsrealizationthensoonerorlateritwillbeachieved.Onedayweshalldiscoverareallyefficientmeansofpropellingourspacevehicles.Everytechnicaldeviceisalwaysdevelopedtoitslimitandtheultimatespeedforspaceshipsisthevelocityoflight.Theywillneverreachthatgoalbuttheywillgetverynearit.Andthentheneareststarwillbelessthanfiveyears’voyagingfromtheearth.Conservativescientistswhodenythatcosmicgulfscaneverbecrossed______.
The1960ssawthegreatcivilrightsmovementwhosegoalsweretoendsegregation种族隔离lawscompletelyandfightfortheequalrightsforthecoloredpeople.ManyAmericanblacksbegantohaveanewmood.Theydeclaredthat"blackisbeautiful"andtheblackcommunityshowedsignsofunprecedentedself-confidence.46EquallyimportantmanyblackleadersbegantodisclaimfullintegrationintotheAmericanmainstreamasthegoaloftheblackminority.47Insteadtheyarguedblacksoughttocoexistwithothergroupsinapluralsocietycontainingdifferentanddistinctivecommunitieslivinginmutualrespect. Theeliminationoflegalbarrierstoadvancementhasbeenamajorgainfortheblacksbutinstitutionalizeddiscriminationisstillrife.Housinginparticularremainshighlysegregated:thegreatmajorityofblackscontinuetoliveinneighborhoodsthatareoverwhelminglyblackandmostwhitesliveinneighborhoodsthatareoverwhelminglywhite.48Busingandotherprogramsaimedatintegratingtheschoolshavehadsomeimpactininnercityareasbuthavemadevirtuallynodifferencetothesegregationthatexistsbetweenthepredominantlyblackurbancentersandthepredominantlywhitesuburbsandsmalltownsthatsurroundthem.Medianfamilyincomeofblacksrosefrom$3230in1960to$10142in1977butthemedianincomeofwhitefamiliesroseatleastasfastandtheincomegapbetweenthetwogroupshaswidenedinrecentyears.49Amajorsourceofthisdifferentialisthefactthatblackstendtobebarredfrompositionsofauthorityoverotherworkersandarerestrictedinsteadtolower-payingjobsfurtherdownthework-placehierarchy.Thisfactoraloneaccountsforaboutathirdofthetotalblack-whiteincomegap. 50Racerelationsbetweenblackandwhitestillleavemuchtobedesiredalthoughthereisunmistakableevidenceofsomeimprovementsinattitudes.Howeverthereisasharpdivergencebetweentheracesonthequestionofhowmuchprogresshasbeenmadeinendingdiscrimination.Themajorityofwhitesbelievethattherehasbeenalotofprogressingettingridofdiscriminationbutmorethanhalfoftheblacksfeltthattherehasnotbeenmuchrealchange.Onlylessthan20%ofthewhitesbelievethatmanyblacksmissoutonjobsandpromotionintheircitybecauseofdiscrimination.Manyblacksarestillpessimisticaboutprogressinracerelations. Racerelationsbetweenblackandwhitestillleavemuchtobedesiredalthoughthereisunmistakableevidenceofsomeimprovementsinattitudes.
ForthousandsofCanadiansbadserviceisneithermake-believenoramusing.Itisanaggravatingandworseningreal-lifephenomenonthatencompassesbehaviourrangingfromindifferenceandrudenesstonakedhostilityandevenphysicalviolence.Acrossthecountrybetterbusinessbureausreportalengtheninglitanyofcomplaintsaboutcontractorscardealersrepairshopsmovingcompaniesairlinesanddepartmentstores.Thereisalmostanadversarialfeelingbetweenbusinessesandconsumers.Expertssaythereareseveralexplanationsforillfeelinginthemarketplace.Oneisthatcustomerservicewasanearlyandinevitablecasualtywhenretailersrespondedtobrutalcompetitionbyreplacingemployeeswithtechnologysuchas1-800numbersandvoicemail.Anotherfactoristhatbusinessgenerallyhasbegunplacingmoreemphasisongettingcustomersthanonkeepingthem.Stillanotheristhatstridentfrustratedandimpatientshoppersvexshopownersandmakethemevenlesshospitable—especiallyatbusiertimesoftheyearlikeChristmas.Onbothsidessimplecourtesyhasgonebytheboard.Andforamultitudeofconsumersservicewentwithit.TheBetterBusinessBureauatVancouvergets250complaintsaweektwiceasmanyasfiveyearsago.Thebureauthenhadonecomplaintscounsellorandnowhasfour.Peoplecomplainaboutbeinginsultedhavingtheirintelligenceandintegrityquestionedandbeingthreatened.OnewillhearaboutpeoplebeinghauledalmostbodilyoutthedoorbysomebodysayingthingslikeIdon’thavetoserveyou!orthisisprivatepropertygetoutanddon’tcomeback!WhatcancustomersdoIfthebureau’sarbitrationprocessfailstosettleadisputeacustomer’sonlyrecourseistosueinsmallclaimscourt.Butbecauseofthecostsandtimeittakesrelativelyfeweverdo.Thereisalotofsupportforthenotionthatservicehasinpartfallenvictimtogenerationalchange.Manyyoungpeopleregardretailingasjustadead-endjobthatyou’rejustgoingtodotemporarilyonyourwaytoarealjob.Youngclerksoftenlackbothknowledgeandcivility.Employersarehavingtotrainyoungpeopleinsimplemannersbecausethatisnotbeingdoneathome.Salespeopletodayespeciallytheyoungeroneshavegrownupinatelevision-computersocietywherethey’veinteractedlargelywithmachines.Oneofthebiggestcomplaintsfrombusinessesaboutgraduatesisthelackofinterpersonalskills.Whatcustomersreallywantisaccess.Theywanttogetthroughwhentheycalltheydon’twantbusysignalstheydon’twantinteractivesystemstellingthemtopushoneforthisandtwoforthat—theydon’twantvoicemail.Andifcustomersdonotgetwhattheywanttheydefect.Somepeoplegobacktolocalsmallbusinesses:theAsiangreengroceraGreekbakerandaGreekfishmonger.Theydon’twearnametagsbutonegetstoknowthemallbyname.WhathaschangedatVancouverBetterServiceBureauinthepastfiveyears
Text4PursuingfreetradethroughWTOhasmanyattractions.Countriesbindthemselvesandtheirtradingpartnerstotransparentandnon-discriminatorytraderuleswhichtheWTOthenenforceseven-handedly.Sincemostgovernmentsoperateonthepremisethatopeningdomesticmarketsisaconcessiontobetradedforaccesstoforeignmarketsmultilateralliberalisationisoftenthemosteffectiveroutetofreetrade.AsuccessfulWTOroundrequirestwobigbargainstobestruck:atransatlanticdealbetweenAmericaandtheEUandanorth-southdealbetweentherichandthepoor.YetatSeattlethisyearthereisalongwaytogobeforesuchbroadbargainscanbeconsideredletalonestruck.Americawantsafewpriorityissuestobesettled.Itslistincludesanextensionoftheduty-freestatusofe-commerceabroaderITpactreformoftheWTOdispute-settlementsystemincreasedWTOtransparencyandthephase-outoftariffsineightsectorsincludingchemicalsenergyproductsandenvironmentalproducts.TheEUontheotherhandprofessestowantamorecomprehensiveapproachthatfocusesonremovingtariffpeaksforsuchimportsastextilesglassandfootwearbutwouldpreservetariffpreferencesfordevelopingcountries.ThebiggestobstaclemaybetheinsistenceofmanydevelopingcountriesthattheywillblockfurtherliberalisationuntiltheirgripesovertheUruguayroundareaddressed.Theywanttheirobligationsinareassuchasintellectualpropertyinvestorprotectionsubsidiesandanti-dumpingtobeeased.TheyarguethattheUruguayroundhasfailedtodeliverexpectedbenefitsinsuchareasasagricultureandtextiles.ThoughbynomeansamonolithicblockthedevelopingcountriesshareafeelingthatwhateverthepromiseofliberalisationattheWTOrichcountrieswillconspiretokeeptheirmarketsclosed.IndeedtheEUinsiststhatfreeingtradeshouldbecontrolledsteeredandmanagedaccordingtotheconcernsofEUcitizens.Thatisinkeepingwithaviewwidespreadonthecontinentthataprotectionisttradepolicyisapricereadilypaidforpoliticalobjectives.HowevergreattheseobstaclesaretheycouldbeovercomeifAmericawerestillleadingthedriveforfreerworldtrade.Withitseconomydoingwellgreateraccesstoforeignmarketsseemsalesspressingpriority.TheClintonadministrationisunwillingtomakepoliticallypainfulconcessionsrequiredtoachievethataim.SothereisapossibilitythattheSeattleroundwillturnouttobeafiasco.Ifthathappensitwillencouragetheanti-WTOgroupstogoontheoffensive.AmericatheEUandJananwouldincreasinglybetemptedbymanagedtrade.TheWTO’stransparentandnon-discriminatoryrulesrequireallmembercountriesto______.
OnegreatbenefitoftheWebisthatitallowsustomoveinformationonlinethatnowresidesinpaperform.SeveralstatesinAmericaareusingtheWebinaprofoundway.Youcanapplyforvariouspermitsorsubmitapplicationsforbusinesslicences.Somestatesareputtinguplistingsofjobs—notjuststategovernmentjobsbutallthejobsavailableinthestate.IbelieveovertimethatalltheinformationthatgovernmentsprintandallthosepaperformstheynowhavewillbemovedontotheInternet.Electroniccommercenotchesupmonth-by-monthtoo.ItisdifficulttomeasurebecausealotofelectroniccommerceinvolvesexistingbuyersandsellerswhoaresimplymovingpaperbasedtransactionstotheWeb.Thatisnotnewbusiness.MicrosoftforexamplepurchasesmillionsofdollarsofPCsonlineinsteadofbypaper.Howeverthatisnotafundamentalchange;ithasjustimprovedtheefficiencyofanexistingprocess.Thebiggestimpacthasoccurredwhereelectroniccommercematchesbuyersandsellerswhowouldnotpreviouslyhavefoundeachother.Whenyougotoabooksiteandfindanobscurebookthatyouneverwouldhavefoundinaphysicalbookstorethatisanewtypeofcommerce.TodayabouthalfofallPCsarestillnotconnectedtotheWeb.Gettingcommunicationscostsdownandmakingallthesoftwaresimplerwillbringinthosepeople.AndthatinturnwillmoveusclosertothecriticalmassthatwillmaketheWeblifestyleeveryone’slifestyle.Oneclementthatpeopleunderestimateisthedegreetowhichthehardwareandsoftwarewillimprove.Justtakeoneaspect:screentechnology.Idomye-mailona20-inchliquidcrystaldisplayLCDmonitor.Itisnotavailableatareasonablepriceyetbutintwoyearsitwillbe.Intenyearsa40-inchLCDwithmuchhigherresolutionwillbecommonplace.TheboundarybetweenatelevisionsetandaPCwillbeblurredbecauseeventheset-topboxthatyouconnectuptoyourcableorsatellitewillhaveaprocessormorepowerfulthanwhatwehavetodayinthemostexpensivePC.Thiswillineffectmakeyourtelevisionacomputer.InteractionwiththeWebalsowillimprovemakingitmucheasierforpeopletobeinvolved.TodaythekeywordsweusetosearchtheWeboftenreturntotoomanyarticlestosortthroughmanyofthemoutofcontext.Ifyouwanttolearnaboutthefastestcomputerchipavailableyoumightendupgettingresponsesinsteadaboutpotatochipsbeingdeliveredinfasttrucks.Inthefutureweshallbeeitherspeakingortypingsentencesintothecomputer.Ifyouaskaboutthespeedofchipstheresultwillbeaboutcomputersnotpotatoes.Speechrecognitionalsomeansthatyouwillbeabletocallinonaphoneandaskifyouhaveanynewmessagesorcheckonaflightorcheckontheweather.Topredictthatitwilltakeovertenyearsforthesechangestohappenisprobablypessimistic.Weusuallyoverestimatewhatwecandointwoyearsandunderestimatewhatwecandointen.TheWebwillbeasmuchawayoflifeasthecarby2008.Probablybefore.Theexampleofpotatochipsisusedtoillustrate______.
TheproblemsoftheelderlyareattractinggreaterattentionlargelybecausetheAmericanpopulationisgrowingsteadilyolderastheproportionofitsagedmembersincrease.AtthetimeofthefirstUnitedStatescensusin1790halfofthepeopleinthecountrywere16oryounger.Bytheturnofthepresentcenturythemedianageofthepopulationhadrisento22.9years;by1970itwas27.7;andby1977ithadreached28.9;themedianagewillreach35bytheyear2000andwillapproach40bytheyear2030.Intimetheburdenoftheyearsaffectseventhehealthiestindividual.Agingisaccompaniedbyphysiologicalchangesthatarenotnecessarilytheresultofanydisease:apartfromthemoreobvioussignsofage—suchasbaldnesswrinklingchangesinbodyformandstiffnessoflimbs—thereisageneralprocessofatrophyofthecellsandgradualdegeneration.Howevertherateofphysiologicalagingvariesgreatlyfromonepersontoanother.Somepeopleshownoticeablesignsofagingasearlyasfifty.Othersseemrelativelyyoungandvitalatseventyandmayevencontinuetoenjoyavigoroussexlife.Ingeneralhoweverillhealthbecomesmorecommonwithadvancingage.Morethanthreequartersofthoseoversixty-fivesufferfromsomechronichealthcondition.Butillhealthneednothaveonlyphysiologicalcauses;itcanhavesocialandpsychologicalcausesaswell.Peopletendtofollowsocialexpectationstofilltherolesthatareofferedtothem.Inasenseallweoffertheagedisasickrole—theroleoftheinfirmpersonwhohasoutlivedhisorherusefulnesstosociety.AnurbanizedindustrializedsocietysuchastheUnitedStatesisorientedtowardyouthmobilityandactivity.Itdoeslittletointegratetheoldintothesocialstructure.UnliketheeldersinatraditionalsocietytheAmericanagedcannolongerlayautomaticclaimontheirkinforsupportandsocialparticipation;onthecontrarytheyaremorelikelytohavetotrynottobeanuisancetotheirnowindependentadultoffspring.Noraretheyregardedasthewisestmembersofthecommunityastheeldersinatraditionalsocietywouldbe;insteadanyadvicetheygiveislikelytobeconsideredirrelevantinachangingworldaboutwhichtheirdescendantsconsiderthemselvesmuchbetterinformed.InAmericachildhoodisromanticisedyouthisidolisedmiddleagedoestheworkwieldsthepowerandpaysthebillsandoldagegetslittleornothingforwhatithasalreadydone.FormanyelderlyAmericansoldageisatragedyaperiodofquietdespairdeprivationdesolationandmutedrage.Thetragedyofoldageisnotthateachofusmustgrowoldanddiebutthattheprocessofdoingsohasbeenmadeunnecessarilypainfulhumiliatingandisolatingthroughinsensitivityignoranceandpoverty.Physiologicalchangesthataccompanyingadvancingagereferstoallthefollowingexcept______.
Text4PursuingfreetradethroughWTOhasmanyattractions.Countriesbindthemselvesandtheirtradingpartnerstotransparentandnon-discriminatorytraderuleswhichtheWTOthenenforceseven-handedly.Sincemostgovernmentsoperateonthepremisethatopeningdomesticmarketsisaconcessiontobetradedforaccesstoforeignmarketsmultilateralliberalisationisoftenthemosteffectiveroutetofreetrade.AsuccessfulWTOroundrequirestwobigbargainstobestruck:atransatlanticdealbetweenAmericaandtheEUandanorth-southdealbetweentherichandthepoor.YetatSeattlethisyearthereisalongwaytogobeforesuchbroadbargainscanbeconsideredletalonestruck.Americawantsafewpriorityissuestobesettled.Itslistincludesanextensionoftheduty-freestatusofe-commerceabroaderITpactreformoftheWTOdispute-settlementsystemincreasedWTOtransparencyandthephase-outoftariffsineightsectorsincludingchemicalsenergyproductsandenvironmentalproducts.TheEUontheotherhandprofessestowantamorecomprehensiveapproachthatfocusesonremovingtariffpeaksforsuchimportsastextilesglassandfootwearbutwouldpreservetariffpreferencesfordevelopingcountries.ThebiggestobstaclemaybetheinsistenceofmanydevelopingcountriesthattheywillblockfurtherliberalisationuntiltheirgripesovertheUruguayroundareaddressed.Theywanttheirobligationsinareassuchasintellectualpropertyinvestorprotectionsubsidiesandanti-dumpingtobeeased.TheyarguethattheUruguayroundhasfailedtodeliverexpectedbenefitsinsuchareasasagricultureandtextiles.ThoughbynomeansamonolithicblockthedevelopingcountriesshareafeelingthatwhateverthepromiseofliberalisationattheWTOrichcountrieswillconspiretokeeptheirmarketsclosed.IndeedtheEUinsiststhatfreeingtradeshouldbecontrolledsteeredandmanagedaccordingtotheconcernsofEUcitizens.Thatisinkeepingwithaviewwidespreadonthecontinentthataprotectionisttradepolicyisapricereadilypaidforpoliticalobjectives.HowevergreattheseobstaclesaretheycouldbeovercomeifAmericawerestillleadingthedriveforfreerworldtrade.Withitseconomydoingwellgreateraccesstoforeignmarketsseemsalesspressingpriority.TheClintonadministrationisunwillingtomakepoliticallypainfulconcessionsrequiredtoachievethataim.SothereisapossibilitythattheSeattleroundwillturnouttobeafiasco.Ifthathappensitwillencouragetheanti-WTOgroupstogoontheoffensive.AmericatheEUandJananwouldincreasinglybetemptedbymanagedtrade.Theauthorofthepassageseemstobe______abouttheprospectofglobalisationandfreetrade.
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 2
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 10
2004isapresidentialelectionyearintheUnitedStates.JoboutsourcingthelossofU.S.jobstocountrieswithlowcostlabourstructureinAsiabyU.S.corporationsisahottopicthissummer.ManyAmericansareworriedthatifthistrendcontinuesforafewmoreyearstheonlyjobsleftintheU.S.wouldbeMcJobs. 41.______ InthepopularmindMcJobsareforteenageburgerflipperswhoaretryingtoearnsomepocketmoney.CertainlytothosewhoaredreamingtheAmericandreamaMcJobisNOTacareerbuilderbyanystretchoftheimagination. ThiskindofnegativeuseofthewordmakesonepersonintheU.S.verymadJimCantalupochairmanandCEOofMcDonald’s.InhislettertothelexicographerswhichwaspublishedinNation’sRestaurantNewshecalledthedefinitionofthewordinthedictionary"inaccurateandinsultingtorestaurantworkerseverywhere". 42.______ IfMcDonald’scouldn’tacceptsatireasthepriceoffameitshouldhavelauncheditsprotestfortheuseofMcJobalongtimeago.SuretwentyyearsagothefirstuseintheNexisdatabasewouldn’thaveraisedhacklesandprovokedapersonalresponsefromthecompany’sCEO. 43.______ ButMcJobinthe"roboticdumb"sensepoppedupintheWashingtonPostjustayearafterthefirstuseofthewordwithaneditorialpiecedeclaring"McJobsAreBadforKids".Laterthewordwasadoptedbyeconomiccommentatorsthoughtheydisagreeeventillthisdayonwhethersuchlow-wagejobsaretrulydead-endsoulkillersorsteppingstonestofulfillingcareersbutbothcampsstillcallthemMeJobs. DougCouplandanotedlinguistoftengetsthecreditforcoiningthetermMcJobhoweverhedidnotjointhechatteringsurroundingtheworduntil1991.Inthepasttwentyyearstheuseofthetermspreadsrapidlyacrossthecountry.In1993theAmericanDialectSocietyatitsannualmeetingvoteditthe"mostimaginative"oftheyear’sbuzzwords.TheuseofMcJobinprintpeakedin1994withmorethan100U.S.citations;intheyearssinceithaslevelledoffneveragaintopping50mentionsperyear. 44.______ BecauseofconcernwithjoblossesamongAmericansduringthispoliticalseasonMcJobcitationsinAmericannewspapersandmagazinesareupsharplyinthepasttwelvemonthsontracktobreakthe1994record.IftheworddoesgetitsbuzzbackchairmanCantalupowouldhavehelpedagreatdeal.HispubliccomplaintcanonlykeepthedebatesizzlingandthetallyofMcJobsusagerisingasaresult. 45.______ [A]ButitremainedcommonenoughtowarrantinclusionintheAmericanHeritageDictionary2000andtheonlineeditionoftheOxfordEnglishDictionary. [B]AccordingtothenewMerriam-Webster’sCollegiateDictionaryMcJobmeans"low-payinganddead-endwork"withnofuture. [C]Itwasaninnocentplayonwordsina1985newsstoryonthelabourshortageattheburgerrestaurantchain.InordertoattractmoreapplicantstheTVcommercialbeganwith"RonaldMcDonaldhasaMcJobforyou"withnoscornintendedwhatsoever. [D]ThatisthekindofcorporatestrategyyouwouldexpectfromacircusclownnottheCEOofthemightyMcDonald’s. [E]NotonlyhaditcreateddozensofitsownwordssuchasMcScholarMcDonald’sawardsscholarshipmoneytoitscollege-boundemployeesasaformofencouragementbutthecompanypridesitselfonthekindofstandardizationsuchnamessuggestprescribingroutinesandrecipespracticallydowntothenumberofseedsonaburgerbun. [F]Whowouldn’tForexampletheDisneyCo.can’tbepleasedthat"MickeyMouse"meanstrivialorsimpleineverydayAmericanEnglishasithasbeensincethe1930s.AndtheAmericanLegionprobablywishessomeoneelsehadcomedownwiththenowcalledLegionnaire’sdisease [G]McJobslaunchedin1984isthecompany’sownprogrammefortrainingpeoplewithdisabilities.Tothechairmanoftheburgerchainthedefinitionofthewordisthereforealsoaninsulttothedisabledaswellastrademarkinfringement.Whenthewordisusedinthepluralformitisarecognizedtrademark.Ironicallynobodyseemstohavewarnedhimthatahead-onattackonthedictionaryeditorsmighthelpperpetuatetheveryusageofthewordhewantstostampout 44
The1960ssawthegreatcivilrightsmovementwhosegoalsweretoendsegregation种族隔离lawscompletelyandfightfortheequalrightsforthecoloredpeople.ManyAmericanblacksbegantohaveanewmood.Theydeclaredthat"blackisbeautiful"andtheblackcommunityshowedsignsofunprecedentedself-confidence.46EquallyimportantmanyblackleadersbegantodisclaimfullintegrationintotheAmericanmainstreamasthegoaloftheblackminority.47Insteadtheyarguedblacksoughttocoexistwithothergroupsinapluralsocietycontainingdifferentanddistinctivecommunitieslivinginmutualrespect. Theeliminationoflegalbarrierstoadvancementhasbeenamajorgainfortheblacksbutinstitutionalizeddiscriminationisstillrife.Housinginparticularremainshighlysegregated:thegreatmajorityofblackscontinuetoliveinneighborhoodsthatareoverwhelminglyblackandmostwhitesliveinneighborhoodsthatareoverwhelminglywhite.48Busingandotherprogramsaimedatintegratingtheschoolshavehadsomeimpactininnercityareasbuthavemadevirtuallynodifferencetothesegregationthatexistsbetweenthepredominantlyblackurbancentersandthepredominantlywhitesuburbsandsmalltownsthatsurroundthem.Medianfamilyincomeofblacksrosefrom$3230in1960to$10142in1977butthemedianincomeofwhitefamiliesroseatleastasfastandtheincomegapbetweenthetwogroupshaswidenedinrecentyears.49Amajorsourceofthisdifferentialisthefactthatblackstendtobebarredfrompositionsofauthorityoverotherworkersandarerestrictedinsteadtolower-payingjobsfurtherdownthework-placehierarchy.Thisfactoraloneaccountsforaboutathirdofthetotalblack-whiteincomegap. 50Racerelationsbetweenblackandwhitestillleavemuchtobedesiredalthoughthereisunmistakableevidenceofsomeimprovementsinattitudes.Howeverthereisasharpdivergencebetweentheracesonthequestionofhowmuchprogresshasbeenmadeinendingdiscrimination.Themajorityofwhitesbelievethattherehasbeenalotofprogressingettingridofdiscriminationbutmorethanhalfoftheblacksfeltthattherehasnotbeenmuchrealchange.Onlylessthan20%ofthewhitesbelievethatmanyblacksmissoutonjobsandpromotionintheircitybecauseofdiscrimination.Manyblacksarestillpessimisticaboutprogressinracerelations. Busingandotherprogramsaimedatintegratingtheschoolshavehadsomeimpactininnercityareasbuthavemadevirtuallynodifferencetothesegregationthatexistsbetweenthepredominantlyblackurbancentersandthepredominantlywhitesuburbsandsmalltownsthatsurroundthem.
Directions: Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefollowingdrawing.Inyouressayyoushould 1describethedrawingbriefly 2explainitsintendedmeaningand 3giveyourcomments. YoushouldwriteneatlyonANSWERSHEET2.
ForthousandsofCanadiansbadserviceisneithermake-believenoramusing.Itisanaggravatingandworseningreal-lifephenomenonthatencompassesbehaviourrangingfromindifferenceandrudenesstonakedhostilityandevenphysicalviolence.Acrossthecountrybetterbusinessbureausreportalengtheninglitanyofcomplaintsaboutcontractorscardealersrepairshopsmovingcompaniesairlinesanddepartmentstores.Thereisalmostanadversarialfeelingbetweenbusinessesandconsumers.Expertssaythereareseveralexplanationsforillfeelinginthemarketplace.Oneisthatcustomerservicewasanearlyandinevitablecasualtywhenretailersrespondedtobrutalcompetitionbyreplacingemployeeswithtechnologysuchas1-800numbersandvoicemail.Anotherfactoristhatbusinessgenerallyhasbegunplacingmoreemphasisongettingcustomersthanonkeepingthem.Stillanotheristhatstridentfrustratedandimpatientshoppersvexshopownersandmakethemevenlesshospitable—especiallyatbusiertimesoftheyearlikeChristmas.Onbothsidessimplecourtesyhasgonebytheboard.Andforamultitudeofconsumersservicewentwithit.TheBetterBusinessBureauatVancouvergets250complaintsaweektwiceasmanyasfiveyearsago.Thebureauthenhadonecomplaintscounsellorandnowhasfour.Peoplecomplainaboutbeinginsultedhavingtheirintelligenceandintegrityquestionedandbeingthreatened.OnewillhearaboutpeoplebeinghauledalmostbodilyoutthedoorbysomebodysayingthingslikeIdon’thavetoserveyou!orthisisprivatepropertygetoutanddon’tcomeback!WhatcancustomersdoIfthebureau’sarbitrationprocessfailstosettleadisputeacustomer’sonlyrecourseistosueinsmallclaimscourt.Butbecauseofthecostsandtimeittakesrelativelyfeweverdo.Thereisalotofsupportforthenotionthatservicehasinpartfallenvictimtogenerationalchange.Manyyoungpeopleregardretailingasjustadead-endjobthatyou’rejustgoingtodotemporarilyonyourwaytoarealjob.Youngclerksoftenlackbothknowledgeandcivility.Employersarehavingtotrainyoungpeopleinsimplemannersbecausethatisnotbeingdoneathome.Salespeopletodayespeciallytheyoungeroneshavegrownupinatelevision-computersocietywherethey’veinteractedlargelywithmachines.Oneofthebiggestcomplaintsfrombusinessesaboutgraduatesisthelackofinterpersonalskills.Whatcustomersreallywantisaccess.Theywanttogetthroughwhentheycalltheydon’twantbusysignalstheydon’twantinteractivesystemstellingthemtopushoneforthisandtwoforthat—theydon’twantvoicemail.Andifcustomersdonotgetwhattheywanttheydefect.Somepeoplegobacktolocalsmallbusinesses:theAsiangreengroceraGreekbakerandaGreekfishmonger.Theydon’twearnametagsbutonegetstoknowthemallbyname.Theauthor’sattitudetowardsbusinessesandbadserviceis______them.
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 20
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 8
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 4
Text3Themarveloustelephoneandtelevisionnetworkthathasnowenmeshedthewholeworldmakingallmenneighborscannotbeextendedintospace.Itwillneverbepossibletoconversewithanyoneonanotherplanet.Evenwithtoday’sradioequipmentthemessageswilltakeminutes—sometimeshours—ontheirjourneybecauseradioandlightwavestravelatthesamelimitedspeedof186000milesasecond.TwentyyearsfromnowyouwillbeabletolistentoafriendonMarsbutthewordsyouhearwillhavelefthismouthatleastthreeminutesearlierandyourreplywilltakeacorrespondingtimetoreachhim.Insuchcircumstancesanexchangeofverbalmessagesispossible—butnotaconversation.Toaculturewhichhascometotakeinstantaneouscommunicationforgrantedaspartoftheverystructureofcivilizedlifethistimebarriermayhaveaprofoundpsychologicalimpact.Itwillbeaperpetualreminderofuniversallawsandlimitationsagainstwhichnotallourtechnologycaneverprevail.Foritseemsascertainasanythingcanbethatnosignal—stilllessanymaterialobject—canevertravelfasterthanlight.Thevelocityoflightistheultimatespeedlimitbeingpartoftheverystructureofspaceandtime.Withinthenarrowconfinesofthesolarsystemitwillnothandicapustooseverely.Attheworstthesewillamounttotwentyhours—thetimeittakesaradiosignaltospantheorbitofPlutotheouter-mostplanet.Itiswhenwemoveoutbeyondtheconfinesofthesolarsystemthatwecomefacetolacewithanaltogetherneworderofcosmicreality.Eventodaymanyotherwiseeducatedmen—likethosesavageswhocancounttothreebutlumptogetherallnumbersbeyondfour—cannotgrasptheprofounddistinctionbetweensolarandstellarspace.Thefirstisthespaceenclosingourneighbouringworldstheplanets;thesecondisthatwhichembracesthosedistantsunsthestarsanditisliterallymillionsoftimesgreater.Thereisnosuchabruptchangeofscaleintheterrestrialaffairs.Manyconservativescientistsappalledbythesecosmicgulfshavedeniedthattheycaneverbecrossed.Somepeopleneverlearn;thosewhosixtyyearsagoscoffedatthepossibilityofflightandtenyearsagolaughedattheideaoftraveltotheplanetsarenowquitesurethatthestarswillalwaysbebeyondourreach.Andagaintheyarewrongfortheyhavefailedtograspthegreatlessonofourage—thatifsomethingispossibleintheoryandnofundamentalscientificlawsopposeitsrealizationthensoonerorlateritwillbeachieved.Onedayweshalldiscoverareallyefficientmeansofpropellingourspacevehicles.Everytechnicaldeviceisalwaysdevelopedtoitslimitandtheultimatespeedforspaceshipsisthevelocityoflight.Theywillneverreachthatgoalbuttheywillgetverynearit.Andthentheneareststarwillbelessthanfiveyears’voyagingfromtheearth.Thefactthatitwillneverbepossibletoconversewithsomeoneonanotherplanetshowsthat.
The1960ssawthegreatcivilrightsmovementwhosegoalsweretoendsegregation种族隔离lawscompletelyandfightfortheequalrightsforthecoloredpeople.ManyAmericanblacksbegantohaveanewmood.Theydeclaredthat"blackisbeautiful"andtheblackcommunityshowedsignsofunprecedentedself-confidence.46EquallyimportantmanyblackleadersbegantodisclaimfullintegrationintotheAmericanmainstreamasthegoaloftheblackminority.47Insteadtheyarguedblacksoughttocoexistwithothergroupsinapluralsocietycontainingdifferentanddistinctivecommunitieslivinginmutualrespect. Theeliminationoflegalbarrierstoadvancementhasbeenamajorgainfortheblacksbutinstitutionalizeddiscriminationisstillrife.Housinginparticularremainshighlysegregated:thegreatmajorityofblackscontinuetoliveinneighborhoodsthatareoverwhelminglyblackandmostwhitesliveinneighborhoodsthatareoverwhelminglywhite.48Busingandotherprogramsaimedatintegratingtheschoolshavehadsomeimpactininnercityareasbuthavemadevirtuallynodifferencetothesegregationthatexistsbetweenthepredominantlyblackurbancentersandthepredominantlywhitesuburbsandsmalltownsthatsurroundthem.Medianfamilyincomeofblacksrosefrom$3230in1960to$10142in1977butthemedianincomeofwhitefamiliesroseatleastasfastandtheincomegapbetweenthetwogroupshaswidenedinrecentyears.49Amajorsourceofthisdifferentialisthefactthatblackstendtobebarredfrompositionsofauthorityoverotherworkersandarerestrictedinsteadtolower-payingjobsfurtherdownthework-placehierarchy.Thisfactoraloneaccountsforaboutathirdofthetotalblack-whiteincomegap. 50Racerelationsbetweenblackandwhitestillleavemuchtobedesiredalthoughthereisunmistakableevidenceofsomeimprovementsinattitudes.Howeverthereisasharpdivergencebetweentheracesonthequestionofhowmuchprogresshasbeenmadeinendingdiscrimination.Themajorityofwhitesbelievethattherehasbeenalotofprogressingettingridofdiscriminationbutmorethanhalfoftheblacksfeltthattherehasnotbeenmuchrealchange.Onlylessthan20%ofthewhitesbelievethatmanyblacksmissoutonjobsandpromotionintheircitybecauseofdiscrimination.Manyblacksarestillpessimisticaboutprogressinracerelations. EquallyimportantmanyblackleadersbegantodisclaimfullintegrationintotheAmericanmainstreamasthegoaloftheblackminority.
It’softenhardtoseeyourmistakesasyou’remakingthem."Yikes!Thekidsaremovingbackin!"Thusgoesthemoanofthebabyboomgenerationaround2007.Butlettingthekidsmovebackinisnotthesocialerrorwe’retalkingabout.Insteadthebigmistakeistheloudlyvoicedannoyanceoftheboomers.Mostmistakenlydecrythenotionoftheboomeranggeneration.ForexampletheauthorsofarecentbookonthetopicMornCan1MoveBackInWithYoureport"Theparentsofthe39milliontwenty-somethingsintheUnitedStatesfacetheunprecedentedchallengeoftheirchildren’sprolongedadolescence."Thesubtitleofthebookisevenmorerevealing:"Asurvivalguideforparentsoftwenty-somethings." Inordertofullyappreciatethedepthoftheerrorbeingmadehereweallneedtostepbackabitandlookatthebiggerpicture.Thisepidemicofkidsmovingbackhomeisfirstnot"unprecedented"andsecondit’snotabadthing.Theprecedentforthistrendcanbefoundamongtheother6.2billionnon-Americansontheplanetmanyofwhomhappilylivewiththeiradultchildrenofteninthree-generationhouseholds.FinallytheagrarianhistoryofthiscountrybeforeWorldWarIIallowedkidstoliveandworkaroundthefarmwellintoadulthood. AdultkidsmovingbackhomeismerelythemostnoticeablesymptomofalargerfundamentaltransformationofAmericansociety.Wearenationallybeginningtorecognizethecostsoftheindependencetheso-calledgreatestgenerationimposedonus.KidsintheirgenerationwentofftoWorldWarIIandgrewuponthebloodybeachesofdistantlands.Afterthewarthesurvivorshadfactoriestobuildandthewealthtobuytheirwhite-picket-fencedreamsoutWest.Theydesignedasocialandfiscalsystemthathasservedtheirretirementyearsverywell.Buttheirhistoricallyuniqueretirementsystemmistakenlycelebratedindependenceandignoredthenaturalstateofhumanbeings-thatisinterdependence.Moreovertheirsystembreaksdownwiththeonslaughtoftheirkids’retirement. Regardingboomerangkidsmostdemographersfocusontheimmediateexplanationsforthechangessuchasthegrowingimmigrantpopulationhousingshortagesandhighpricesandout-of-wedlockchildbearing.Manypsychologistshavenotedthatbaby-boomerparentsenjoycloserrelationshipswiththeirfewerchildrenthatallowextendedcohabitation.HoweveralltheseexplanationsaresimplysymptomsofthelargermorefundamentalreunitingofAmericansintohouseholds. TherateatwhichourAmericancultureisadaptingwillaccelerateasbabyboomersbeginretiring.Creativehousingarrangementsarenecessitatingandallowingthreegenerationstolivetogetheragain.Butsuchmultigenerationalhouseholdsdon’tmakesenseforeveryone.Thecultureitselffrequentlygetsinthewayreinforcingtheperceptionofastigmaattachingtolackofindependence.Despitetheseproblemsonceyoubegintalkingwithyourfriendsaboutthree-generationhouseholdsyouwillbeginhearingstoriesabouthowsuchobstaclesarebeingovercome. Bysayingyou’remakingthemLine1Para.1theauthormeansthat
It’softenhardtoseeyourmistakesasyou’remakingthem."Yikes!Thekidsaremovingbackin!"Thusgoesthemoanofthebabyboomgenerationaround2007.Butlettingthekidsmovebackinisnotthesocialerrorwe’retalkingabout.Insteadthebigmistakeistheloudlyvoicedannoyanceoftheboomers.Mostmistakenlydecrythenotionoftheboomeranggeneration.ForexampletheauthorsofarecentbookonthetopicMornCan1MoveBackInWithYoureport"Theparentsofthe39milliontwenty-somethingsintheUnitedStatesfacetheunprecedentedchallengeoftheirchildren’sprolongedadolescence."Thesubtitleofthebookisevenmorerevealing:"Asurvivalguideforparentsoftwenty-somethings." Inordertofullyappreciatethedepthoftheerrorbeingmadehereweallneedtostepbackabitandlookatthebiggerpicture.Thisepidemicofkidsmovingbackhomeisfirstnot"unprecedented"andsecondit’snotabadthing.Theprecedentforthistrendcanbefoundamongtheother6.2billionnon-Americansontheplanetmanyofwhomhappilylivewiththeiradultchildrenofteninthree-generationhouseholds.FinallytheagrarianhistoryofthiscountrybeforeWorldWarIIallowedkidstoliveandworkaroundthefarmwellintoadulthood. AdultkidsmovingbackhomeismerelythemostnoticeablesymptomofalargerfundamentaltransformationofAmericansociety.Wearenationallybeginningtorecognizethecostsoftheindependencetheso-calledgreatestgenerationimposedonus.KidsintheirgenerationwentofftoWorldWarIIandgrewuponthebloodybeachesofdistantlands.Afterthewarthesurvivorshadfactoriestobuildandthewealthtobuytheirwhite-picket-fencedreamsoutWest.Theydesignedasocialandfiscalsystemthathasservedtheirretirementyearsverywell.Buttheirhistoricallyuniqueretirementsystemmistakenlycelebratedindependenceandignoredthenaturalstateofhumanbeings-thatisinterdependence.Moreovertheirsystembreaksdownwiththeonslaughtoftheirkids’retirement. Regardingboomerangkidsmostdemographersfocusontheimmediateexplanationsforthechangessuchasthegrowingimmigrantpopulationhousingshortagesandhighpricesandout-of-wedlockchildbearing.Manypsychologistshavenotedthatbaby-boomerparentsenjoycloserrelationshipswiththeirfewerchildrenthatallowextendedcohabitation.HoweveralltheseexplanationsaresimplysymptomsofthelargermorefundamentalreunitingofAmericansintohouseholds. TherateatwhichourAmericancultureisadaptingwillaccelerateasbabyboomersbeginretiring.Creativehousingarrangementsarenecessitatingandallowingthreegenerationstolivetogetheragain.Butsuchmultigenerationalhouseholdsdon’tmakesenseforeveryone.Thecultureitselffrequentlygetsinthewayreinforcingtheperceptionofastigmaattachingtolackofindependence.Despitetheseproblemsonceyoubegintalkingwithyourfriendsaboutthree-generationhouseholdsyouwillbeginhearingstoriesabouthowsuchobstaclesarebeingovercome. Whichofthefollowingmightbethefundamentalreasonfortherevivalofthree-generationhouseholdsinAmerica
Text4PursuingfreetradethroughWTOhasmanyattractions.Countriesbindthemselvesandtheirtradingpartnerstotransparentandnon-discriminatorytraderuleswhichtheWTOthenenforceseven-handedly.Sincemostgovernmentsoperateonthepremisethatopeningdomesticmarketsisaconcessiontobetradedforaccesstoforeignmarketsmultilateralliberalisationisoftenthemosteffectiveroutetofreetrade.AsuccessfulWTOroundrequirestwobigbargainstobestruck:atransatlanticdealbetweenAmericaandtheEUandanorth-southdealbetweentherichandthepoor.YetatSeattlethisyearthereisalongwaytogobeforesuchbroadbargainscanbeconsideredletalonestruck.Americawantsafewpriorityissuestobesettled.Itslistincludesanextensionoftheduty-freestatusofe-commerceabroaderITpactreformoftheWTOdispute-settlementsystemincreasedWTOtransparencyandthephase-outoftariffsineightsectorsincludingchemicalsenergyproductsandenvironmentalproducts.TheEUontheotherhandprofessestowantamorecomprehensiveapproachthatfocusesonremovingtariffpeaksforsuchimportsastextilesglassandfootwearbutwouldpreservetariffpreferencesfordevelopingcountries.ThebiggestobstaclemaybetheinsistenceofmanydevelopingcountriesthattheywillblockfurtherliberalisationuntiltheirgripesovertheUruguayroundareaddressed.Theywanttheirobligationsinareassuchasintellectualpropertyinvestorprotectionsubsidiesandanti-dumpingtobeeased.TheyarguethattheUruguayroundhasfailedtodeliverexpectedbenefitsinsuchareasasagricultureandtextiles.ThoughbynomeansamonolithicblockthedevelopingcountriesshareafeelingthatwhateverthepromiseofliberalisationattheWTOrichcountrieswillconspiretokeeptheirmarketsclosed.IndeedtheEUinsiststhatfreeingtradeshouldbecontrolledsteeredandmanagedaccordingtotheconcernsofEUcitizens.Thatisinkeepingwithaviewwidespreadonthecontinentthataprotectionisttradepolicyisapricereadilypaidforpoliticalobjectives.HowevergreattheseobstaclesaretheycouldbeovercomeifAmericawerestillleadingthedriveforfreerworldtrade.Withitseconomydoingwellgreateraccesstoforeignmarketsseemsalesspressingpriority.TheClintonadministrationisunwillingtomakepoliticallypainfulconcessionsrequiredtoachievethataim.SothereisapossibilitythattheSeattleroundwillturnouttobeafiasco.Ifthathappensitwillencouragetheanti-WTOgroupstogoontheoffensive.AmericatheEUandJananwouldincreasinglybetemptedbymanagedtrade.Thedevelopingcountriesthreatentoblockfurtherliberalisationbecausethey______.
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 6
ForthousandsofCanadiansbadserviceisneithermake-believenoramusing.Itisanaggravatingandworseningreal-lifephenomenonthatencompassesbehaviourrangingfromindifferenceandrudenesstonakedhostilityandevenphysicalviolence.Acrossthecountrybetterbusinessbureausreportalengtheninglitanyofcomplaintsaboutcontractorscardealersrepairshopsmovingcompaniesairlinesanddepartmentstores.Thereisalmostanadversarialfeelingbetweenbusinessesandconsumers.Expertssaythereareseveralexplanationsforillfeelinginthemarketplace.Oneisthatcustomerservicewasanearlyandinevitablecasualtywhenretailersrespondedtobrutalcompetitionbyreplacingemployeeswithtechnologysuchas1-800numbersandvoicemail.Anotherfactoristhatbusinessgenerallyhasbegunplacingmoreemphasisongettingcustomersthanonkeepingthem.Stillanotheristhatstridentfrustratedandimpatientshoppersvexshopownersandmakethemevenlesshospitable—especiallyatbusiertimesoftheyearlikeChristmas.Onbothsidessimplecourtesyhasgonebytheboard.Andforamultitudeofconsumersservicewentwithit.TheBetterBusinessBureauatVancouvergets250complaintsaweektwiceasmanyasfiveyearsago.Thebureauthenhadonecomplaintscounsellorandnowhasfour.Peoplecomplainaboutbeinginsultedhavingtheirintelligenceandintegrityquestionedandbeingthreatened.OnewillhearaboutpeoplebeinghauledalmostbodilyoutthedoorbysomebodysayingthingslikeIdon’thavetoserveyou!orthisisprivatepropertygetoutanddon’tcomeback!WhatcancustomersdoIfthebureau’sarbitrationprocessfailstosettleadisputeacustomer’sonlyrecourseistosueinsmallclaimscourt.Butbecauseofthecostsandtimeittakesrelativelyfeweverdo.Thereisalotofsupportforthenotionthatservicehasinpartfallenvictimtogenerationalchange.Manyyoungpeopleregardretailingasjustadead-endjobthatyou’rejustgoingtodotemporarilyonyourwaytoarealjob.Youngclerksoftenlackbothknowledgeandcivility.Employersarehavingtotrainyoungpeopleinsimplemannersbecausethatisnotbeingdoneathome.Salespeopletodayespeciallytheyoungeroneshavegrownupinatelevision-computersocietywherethey’veinteractedlargelywithmachines.Oneofthebiggestcomplaintsfrombusinessesaboutgraduatesisthelackofinterpersonalskills.Whatcustomersreallywantisaccess.Theywanttogetthroughwhentheycalltheydon’twantbusysignalstheydon’twantinteractivesystemstellingthemtopushoneforthisandtwoforthat—theydon’twantvoicemail.Andifcustomersdonotgetwhattheywanttheydefect.Somepeoplegobacktolocalsmallbusinesses:theAsiangreengroceraGreekbakerandaGreekfishmonger.Theydon’twearnametagsbutonegetstoknowthemallbyname.Atabusinessplaceofbadservicetheworstonecangetis______.
TheproblemsoftheelderlyareattractinggreaterattentionlargelybecausetheAmericanpopulationisgrowingsteadilyolderastheproportionofitsagedmembersincrease.AtthetimeofthefirstUnitedStatescensusin1790halfofthepeopleinthecountrywere16oryounger.Bytheturnofthepresentcenturythemedianageofthepopulationhadrisento22.9years;by1970itwas27.7;andby1977ithadreached28.9;themedianagewillreach35bytheyear2000andwillapproach40bytheyear2030.Intimetheburdenoftheyearsaffectseventhehealthiestindividual.Agingisaccompaniedbyphysiologicalchangesthatarenotnecessarilytheresultofanydisease:apartfromthemoreobvioussignsofage—suchasbaldnesswrinklingchangesinbodyformandstiffnessoflimbs—thereisageneralprocessofatrophyofthecellsandgradualdegeneration.Howevertherateofphysiologicalagingvariesgreatlyfromonepersontoanother.Somepeopleshownoticeablesignsofagingasearlyasfifty.Othersseemrelativelyyoungandvitalatseventyandmayevencontinuetoenjoyavigoroussexlife.Ingeneralhoweverillhealthbecomesmorecommonwithadvancingage.Morethanthreequartersofthoseoversixty-fivesufferfromsomechronichealthcondition.Butillhealthneednothaveonlyphysiologicalcauses;itcanhavesocialandpsychologicalcausesaswell.Peopletendtofollowsocialexpectationstofilltherolesthatareofferedtothem.Inasenseallweoffertheagedisasickrole—theroleoftheinfirmpersonwhohasoutlivedhisorherusefulnesstosociety.AnurbanizedindustrializedsocietysuchastheUnitedStatesisorientedtowardyouthmobilityandactivity.Itdoeslittletointegratetheoldintothesocialstructure.UnliketheeldersinatraditionalsocietytheAmericanagedcannolongerlayautomaticclaimontheirkinforsupportandsocialparticipation;onthecontrarytheyaremorelikelytohavetotrynottobeanuisancetotheirnowindependentadultoffspring.Noraretheyregardedasthewisestmembersofthecommunityastheeldersinatraditionalsocietywouldbe;insteadanyadvicetheygiveislikelytobeconsideredirrelevantinachangingworldaboutwhichtheirdescendantsconsiderthemselvesmuchbetterinformed.InAmericachildhoodisromanticisedyouthisidolisedmiddleagedoestheworkwieldsthepowerandpaysthebillsandoldagegetslittleornothingforwhatithasalreadydone.FormanyelderlyAmericansoldageisatragedyaperiodofquietdespairdeprivationdesolationandmutedrage.Thetragedyofoldageisnotthateachofusmustgrowoldanddiebutthattheprocessofdoingsohasbeenmadeunnecessarilypainfulhumiliatingandisolatingthroughinsensitivityignoranceandpoverty.TheagedAmericansdonotdependontheiroffspringforsupportbecauseof______.
Manyprofessionsareassociatedwithaparticularstereotype.The1imageofawriterforinstanceis2aslightlycrazy-lookingpersonlockedinanatticwriting3furiouslyfordays4Naturallyhehashisfavoritepenandnote-paperorabeat-uptypewriter5hecouldnotproduceareadableword. Nowadaysweknowthatsuchimages6littleresemblancetoreality.ButaretheycompletelyfalseInthecaseofatleastonewriteritwould7.DameMurielSparkwho880inFebruaryinmanywaysresemblesthisstereotypical"writer".Sheiscertainlynotcrazyandshedoesn’tworkinanattic.Butsheisrather9aboutthetoolsofher10 She11writingwithacertaintypeofpeninacertaintypeofnotebookwhichshebuysfromacertain12inEdinburghcalledJamesThin.Infactso13isshethatifsomeoneusesoneofherpens14sheimmediatelythrowsitaway.Andsheclaimsshewouldhaveenormousdifficultywritinginanynotebook15thosesoldbyJamesThin.Thiscouldsoonbeaproblemastheshopnolonger16themandDameMuriel’s17of72-pagespiralboundisnearlyfinished. Aswellasher"18"aboutwritingmaterialsMurielSparksharesoneothercharacteristicwiththestereotypical"writer":herworkisthemostimportantthinginherlife.Ithasstoppedher19;20heroldfriendsandmadehernewonesanddrivenherfromLondontoNewYorktoRome.TodayshelivesintheItalianprovinceofTuscanywithafriend. 12
2004isapresidentialelectionyearintheUnitedStates.JoboutsourcingthelossofU.S.jobstocountrieswithlowcostlabourstructureinAsiabyU.S.corporationsisahottopicthissummer.ManyAmericansareworriedthatifthistrendcontinuesforafewmoreyearstheonlyjobsleftintheU.S.wouldbeMcJobs. 41.______ InthepopularmindMcJobsareforteenageburgerflipperswhoaretryingtoearnsomepocketmoney.CertainlytothosewhoaredreamingtheAmericandreamaMcJobisNOTacareerbuilderbyanystretchoftheimagination. ThiskindofnegativeuseofthewordmakesonepersonintheU.S.verymadJimCantalupochairmanandCEOofMcDonald’s.InhislettertothelexicographerswhichwaspublishedinNation’sRestaurantNewshecalledthedefinitionofthewordinthedictionary"inaccurateandinsultingtorestaurantworkerseverywhere". 42.______ IfMcDonald’scouldn’tacceptsatireasthepriceoffameitshouldhavelauncheditsprotestfortheuseofMcJobalongtimeago.SuretwentyyearsagothefirstuseintheNexisdatabasewouldn’thaveraisedhacklesandprovokedapersonalresponsefromthecompany’sCEO. 43.______ ButMcJobinthe"roboticdumb"sensepoppedupintheWashingtonPostjustayearafterthefirstuseofthewordwithaneditorialpiecedeclaring"McJobsAreBadforKids".Laterthewordwasadoptedbyeconomiccommentatorsthoughtheydisagreeeventillthisdayonwhethersuchlow-wagejobsaretrulydead-endsoulkillersorsteppingstonestofulfillingcareersbutbothcampsstillcallthemMeJobs. DougCouplandanotedlinguistoftengetsthecreditforcoiningthetermMcJobhoweverhedidnotjointhechatteringsurroundingtheworduntil1991.Inthepasttwentyyearstheuseofthetermspreadsrapidlyacrossthecountry.In1993theAmericanDialectSocietyatitsannualmeetingvoteditthe"mostimaginative"oftheyear’sbuzzwords.TheuseofMcJobinprintpeakedin1994withmorethan100U.S.citations;intheyearssinceithaslevelledoffneveragaintopping50mentionsperyear. 44.______ BecauseofconcernwithjoblossesamongAmericansduringthispoliticalseasonMcJobcitationsinAmericannewspapersandmagazinesareupsharplyinthepasttwelvemonthsontracktobreakthe1994record.IftheworddoesgetitsbuzzbackchairmanCantalupowouldhavehelpedagreatdeal.HispubliccomplaintcanonlykeepthedebatesizzlingandthetallyofMcJobsusagerisingasaresult. 45.______ [A]ButitremainedcommonenoughtowarrantinclusionintheAmericanHeritageDictionary2000andtheonlineeditionoftheOxfordEnglishDictionary. [B]AccordingtothenewMerriam-Webster’sCollegiateDictionaryMcJobmeans"low-payinganddead-endwork"withnofuture. [C]Itwasaninnocentplayonwordsina1985newsstoryonthelabourshortageattheburgerrestaurantchain.InordertoattractmoreapplicantstheTVcommercialbeganwith"RonaldMcDonaldhasaMcJobforyou"withnoscornintendedwhatsoever. [D]ThatisthekindofcorporatestrategyyouwouldexpectfromacircusclownnottheCEOofthemightyMcDonald’s. [E]NotonlyhaditcreateddozensofitsownwordssuchasMcScholarMcDonald’sawardsscholarshipmoneytoitscollege-boundemployeesasaformofencouragementbutthecompanypridesitselfonthekindofstandardizationsuchnamessuggestprescribingroutinesandrecipespracticallydowntothenumberofseedsonaburgerbun. [F]Whowouldn’tForexampletheDisneyCo.can’tbepleasedthat"MickeyMouse"meanstrivialorsimpleineverydayAmericanEnglishasithasbeensincethe1930s.AndtheAmericanLegionprobablywishessomeoneelsehadcomedownwiththenowcalledLegionnaire’sdisease [G]McJobslaunchedin1984isthecompany’sownprogrammefortrainingpeoplewithdisabilities.Tothechairmanoftheburgerchainthedefinitionofthewordisthereforealsoaninsulttothedisabledaswellastrademarkinfringement.Whenthewordisusedinthepluralformitisarecognizedtrademark.Ironicallynobodyseemstohavewarnedhimthatahead-onattackonthedictionaryeditorsmighthelpperpetuatetheveryusageofthewordhewantstostampout 42
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