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Text 2 Everyday some 16m barrels of oil leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. That is en...
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通过管路采样的吸气式感烟火灾探测器在安装时采样管应固定牢固非高灵敏度的吸气式感烟火灾探测器不宜安装在
16m；3
12m；3
16m；2
12m；2
我国最大的竖炉是的16m2
济钢
杭钢
本溪
唐钢
船用起重机的工作幅度一般为_____相应的吊臂仰角为_____
3.5m～16m； 25°\u65374X75°
3.5m～16m； 27°\u65374X79°
3.5m～20m； 25°\u65374X75°
3.5m～20m； 27°\u65374X79°
ngO2中有m个O.原子则阿伏加德罗常数NA的数值可表示为
32m/n
16m/n
n/32m
n/16m
通过管路采样的吸气式感烟火灾探测器的安装应符合下列要求
采样管应固定牢固
采样管（含支管）的长度和采样孔应符合产品说明书的要求
非高灵敏度的吸气式感烟火灾探测器不宜安装在天棚高度大于16m的场所
高灵敏度吸气式感烟火灾探测器在设为高灵敏度时可安装在天棚高度大于16m的场所，并保证至少有2个采样孔低于16m
为保护离避霄针16m远的高为16m的设备避雷针至少应高于m
32
26
28
20
列出总长16m游艇消防设备的最低配备
项目地磅设置的规格一般情况下的要求为
3m*14m，100T
3m*16m，100T
3m*16m，120T
3m*18m，120T
0
16m
8m
﹣16m
已知某建筑场地的土层情况如下地面下0～1m为杂填土γ=16kN/m31～8m为粉质黏土γ=18
166kPa
179kPa
193kPa
200kPa
一足够长的固定斜面与水平面的夹角为370物体A以初速度v1从斜面顶端水平抛出物体B在斜面上距项端15
v
1
=16m/s v
2
=15m/s t=3s
v
1
=16m/s v
2
=16m/s t=2s
v
1
=20m/s v
2
=20m/s t=3s
v
1
=20m/s v
2
=16m/s t=2s
一个分娩室最多设2张产床每张产床使用而积应不少于16m2
把多项式16m3﹣mn2分解因式的结果是.
把总长为16m的篱笆要围成一个矩形场地则矩形场地的最大面积是m2.
甲乙两车在同一条直线轨道上同向行驶甲车的速度是8m/s后面乙车的速度是16m/s甲车突然以大小为2m
分解因式:-4m3+16m2-6m=_____________.
某房产中误差为16m2则其限差为8m2
质量为4t的汽车额定功率为40kW汽车在运动中阻力恒定为2000N当汽车以16m/s速度匀速运动时发
某房产中误差为16m2则其限差为8m2
Thelifeboat______．
fell into the sea directly
fell on the top of the davit arms
fell some 16m into the sea from about its stow position
dropped on the edge of boat deck and then rolled over into the sea"
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Text1 Untilrecentlythemainvillainsofthepiecehadseemedtobetheteachers’unionswhohaveopposedanysortofreformoraccountability.Nowtheyfacecompetitionfromanunexpectedlydestructiveforce:thecourt.FiftyyearsagoitwasthejudgeswhoforcedtheschoolstodesegregatethroughBrownv.BoardofEducation1954.Nowthecourtshavemovedfrombroadprinciplestomicromanagementtellingschoolshowmuchmoneytospendandwhere—rightdowntothecorrectcomputerortextbook Twenty-fourstatesarecurrentlystuckinvariouscourtcasestodowithfinancingschoolsystemsandanother21haveonlyrecentlysettledvarioussuits.Mostwillstartagainsoon.Onlyfivestateshaveavoidedlitigationentirely. NothingexemplifiesthepowerofthecourtsbetterthananIl-year-oldcasethatisduetobesettledsortofinNewYorkCitythehomeofAmerica’sbiggestschoolsystemwith1.lmstudentsandabudgetnearing$13billion.AttheendofthismonththreeelderlymembersoftheNewYorkbarservingasjudicialrefereesareduetoruleinacasebroughtbytheCampaignforFiscalEquityaleftishadvocacygroupagainstthestateofNewYork:theywilldecidehowmuchmoremustbespenttoprovideeveryNewYorkCitypupilwitha"soundbasic"education. Rareisthepoliticianwillingtoarguethatmoremoneyforschoolsisabadthing.ButarethecourtsdoinganygoodTwosuspicionsarise.Firstjudgesaremakingalazyassumptionthatmoremoneymeansbetterschools.Astheinternationalresultsshowthelinkbetween"inputs"and"outputs"isvague—somethingwelldocumentedbyamongothersthelateSenatorDanielPatrickMoynihanofNewYork.Secondthecourtsaremuddlinganalreadymuddledsystem.Overtimetheyhavegenerallymadeithardertogetridofdisruptivepupilsandbadteachers. Thecurrentcasecouldbeevenworse.Thecourtshavealreadysaidthatinordertodeterminethenecessaryspendingtheymayconsidereverythingfromclasssizetotheavailabilityofcomputerstextbooksandevenpencils.Thisdegreeofinterventionisallthemorescandalousbecausethecourtshaveweirdlydecidedtoignoreanothersetof"inputs"—thearchaicworkpracticesofschoolteachersandjanitors.DavidSchoenbrodandRossSandlerofNewYorkLawSchoolreckonthedemandsofthecourtwillsimplyunderminereformandtransformanexpensivefailureintoamoreexpensiveone. Andofcoursethelitigationneverends.Kentuckyforexampleisstillincourt16yearsafterthefirstdecision.AlawsuitfirstfiledagainstNewJerseyforitsfundingofschoolsin1981was"decided"fouryearslater—butithasreturnedtothecourtninetimessinceincludingearlythisyearwitheachdecisionpushingthecourtdeeperintothemanagementofthestate’sschools.Badjudgesareevenhardertobootoutofschoolthanbadpupils. InputsasusedinthetextrefertoallofthefollowingExcept
Manycountrieshaveatraditionofinvitingforeignerstorulethem.TheEnglishcalledinWilliamofOrangein1688anddependingonyourinterpretationofhistoryWilliamofNormandyin1066.Bothdidratheragoodjob.ReturningthecomplimentAlbaniaaskedawell-bredEnglishmancalledAubgreyHerberttobetheirkinginthe1920s.Herefused—andtheyendedupwithseveralcovescalledZog.Americathecountryofimmigrantshasnotruckwithimportedforeigntalent.Articletwooftheconstitutionsaysthatnopersonexceptanatural-borncitizen..shallbeeligibletotheofficeofthepresident.Thisisnowbeingchallengedbyaparticularlyirresistibleimmigrant:ArnoldSchwarzcnegger.BarelyayearhaspassedsincetheerstwhilecyborgswepttovictoryinCalifornia’srecallelectionyetthereisalreadyanAmend-for-ArnoldcampaigncollectingsignaturestolettheAustrian-borngovernorhaveagoattheWhiteHouse.GeorgeBushseniorhasweighedinonhisbehalf.ThereareseveralArnoldamendmentsinCongress:oneal-lowsforeignerswhohavebeennaturalizedcitizensfor20yearstobecomepresident.TheAustrianbecameAmericanin1983.Itiseasytodismissthehooplaasanotherregrettableexampleofloopycelebritypolitics.Mr.Schwarzeneggerhasmadeadecentstartasgovernorbuthebasdonelittleasyettochangethestructureofhisdysfunctionalstate.IndeedevenifthelawwerechangedhecouldwellbeelbowedasidebyanotherincomerthistimefromCanada:theDemocraticgovernorofMichiganJenniferGranholmwhoappearstohavefewerskeletonsinherclosetthanthehedonisticactor.MoreoverchangingtheAmericanconstitutionisnododdle.Ithashappenedonly17timessince1791whenthefirsttenamendmentswerecodifiedasthebillofrights.Tochangetheconstitutionanamendmenthastobeapprovedbytwo-thirdsofbothhousesofCongressandthentoberatifiedbythree-quartersofthe50states.TheArnoldamendmentishardlyinthesamecategoryasabolishingslaveryorgivingwomenthevote.AndassomewagspointoutAustrianimportshaveaprettydodgyrecordofrunningmil-itarysuperpowers.ThewordcyborgLine1Paragraph3mostprobablyrefersto______.
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.15
Companieshaveembarkedonwhatlookslikethebeginningsofare-runofthemergersandacquisitionsM&Awavethatdefinedthesecondbubblyhalfofthe1990s.Thatperiodreadersmightrecallwascharacterizedbyacollectivesplurgethatsawthecreationofsomeofthemostindebtedcompaniesinhistorymanyofwhichlaterwentbankruptorwerethemselvesbrokenup.Wildbiddingforteleeomsinternetandmediaas-setsnottomentionthemadnessthatwasDaimler’s$40billionmotoringtakeoverin1998—1999ofChryslerortheTime-Warner/AOLmegs-mergerin2000helpedtogivemergersathoroughlybadname.AconsensusemergedthatM&Awasagreatwayforin-vestmentbankstoreaprichfeesandasurewayforambitiousmanagerstobetrayinvestorsbytrashingthevalueoftheirshares.NowM&Aisback.ItsreturnisaglobalphenomenonbutitisperhapsmoststrikinginEuropewheresofarthisyeartherehasbeenastreamofdealsworthmorethan$600billionintotalaround40%higherthaninthesameperiodof2004.ThelatesteffortcamethisweekwhenFrance’sSaint-Gobainabuilding-materialsfirmunveiledthede-tailsofits3.6billion$6.5billionhostilebidforBPBaBritishrival.Inthefirsthalfoftheyearcross-borderactivitywasupthreefoldoverthesameperiodlastyear.EvenFranceTelecomwhichwasleftalmostbankruptattheendofthelastmergerwaverecentlyboughtAmenaaSpanishmobileoperator.Shareholder’sapprovalofallthesedealsraisesaninterestingquestionforcompanieseverywhere:areinvestorsrighttothinkthatthesemergersaremorelikelytosucceedthanearlierones.’Therearetwoanswers.Thefirstisthatpastmergersmayhavebeenjudgedtooharshly.ThesecondisthatthepresentrashofEuropeandealsdoeslookmoreration-albut—andthecaveatiscrucial—onlysofar.Thepatternmaynothold.M&A’spoorreputationstemsnotonlyfromthestringofspectacularfailuresinthe1990sbutalsofromstudiesthatshowedvaluedestructionforacquiringshareholdersin8.0%ofdeals.Butmorerecentstudiesbyeconomistshaveintroducedanoteofcaution.Investorsshouldlookatthenumberofdealsthatsucceedorfailtypicallymeasuredbytheimpactonthesharepriceratherthanasyoumightthinkweighingthembysize.ForexamplenoonedoubtsthattheDaimler-Chryslermergerdestroyedvalue.Thecom-binedmarketvalueofthetwofirmsisstillbelowthatofDaimleralonebeforethedeal.ThissingledealaccountedforhalfofallGermanM&Aactivitybyvaluein1998and1999andprobablydominatedpeople’sthinkingaboutmergerstothesamedegree.Throwinafewothersuchmonstersanditisnowonderthatbroadstudieshavetendedtofindthatmergersareabadidea.Thetruepictureismorecomplicated.Thepatterninthethirdparagraphmostprobablydenotes______.
Apairofdicerolledagainandagainwilleventuallyproducetwosixes.Similarlythevirusthatcausesinfluenzaisconstantlychangingatrandomandonedaywillmutateinawaythatwillenableittoinfectbillionsofpeopleandtokillmillions.Manyexpertsnowbelieveaglobaloutbreakofpandemicfluisoverdueandthatthenextonecouldbeasbadastheonein1918whichkilledsomewherebetween25mand50mpeo-pie.Todayhoweveradvancesinmedicineofferrealhopethatanothersuchoutbreakcanbecontained—ifgovernmentsstartpreparingnow.Newresearchpublishedthisweeksuggeststhatarelativelysmallstockpileofananti-viraldrug—aslittleas3mdoses—couldbeenoughtolimitsharplyaflupandemicifthedrugsweredeployedquicklytopeopleintheareasurroundingtheinitialoutbreak.Thedrug’smanufacturerRocheistalkingtotheWorldHealthOrganisationaboutdonatingsuchastockpile.Thisisgoodnews.ButmuchmoreneedstobedoneespeciallywithanastystrainofavianfluspreadinginAsiawhichcouldmutateintoathreattohumans.SincetheSARSoutbreakin2003afewcountrieshavedevelopedplansinpreparationforsimilarepisodes.Butprogresshasbeenshamefullypatchyandthereisstillfartoolittleinternationalco-ordination.Aglobalstockpileofdrugsalonewouldnotbemuchusewithoutanadequatesystemofsurveillancetoidentifyearlycasesandawayofdeliveringtreatmentquickly.Ifanout-breakoccurredinaborderregionforexampleaswiftresponsewouldmostlikelydependonprioragreementsbetweendifferentcountriesaboutquarantineandcontainment.Reachingsuchagreementsisrarelyeasybutthatmakesthetaskallthemoreurgent.Richcountriestendtobebetterpreparedthanpooronesbutthisshouldbenoconsolationtothem.Fludoesnotrespectborders.Itisineveryone’sinteresttomakesurethatdevelopingcountriesespeciallyinAsiaarealsowellprepared.Manymaybridleatinterferencefromoutside.Butifrichernation’swerewillingtodonateanti-viraldrugsandguaranteeasupplyofanyvaccinethatbecomesavailablepoorernationsmightbewillingtoreachagreementsoversurveillanceandpreparedness.Simplysortingoutafewdetailsnowwillhavelivesandrecriminationslater.WilltherebeenoughventilatorsmakesanddrugsWherewillpeoplebetreatedifthehospitalsoverflow7WillfoodbedeliveredasnormalToomanycountrieshavenoanswerstothesequestions.Thebesttitleforthetextcouldbe______.
Text2 InrecentyearsMicrosofthasfocusedonthreebigtasksbuildingrobustsecurityintoitssoftwareresolvingnumerousantitrustcomplaintsagainstitandupgradingitsWindowsoperatingsystem.Thesethreetasksarenowstartingtocollide. OnAugust27ththefirmsaidthatthesuccessortoitsWindowsXPoperatingsystemcode-namedLonghornwillgoonsalein2007withoutoneofitsmostimpressivefeatures:atechniquetointegrateelaboratesearchcapabilitiesintonearlyalldesktopapplications.OnthebrightsideLonghornwillcontainadvancesinrenderingimagesandenablingdifferentcomputingplatformstoexchangedatadirectlybetweenapplications.ItisabigsetbackforMicrosoftwhichconsiderssearchtechnologyapillarofitsfuturegrowth—notleastasitcompetesagainstGoogle. Thefirm’sfocusonsecurity—championedby]BillGateshimself—tookresourcesawayfromLonghornadmitsGregSullivanaleadproductmanagerintheWindowsclientdivision.ProgrammershavebeenfixingWindowsXPratherthanworkingonLonghorn.Inmid-AugustMicrosoftreleasedServicePack2ahugesetoffreesoftwarepatchesandenhancementstomakeWindowsXPmoresecure.Thoughsomeofthefixesturnedouttohavevulnerabilitiesoftheirownthepatcheshavemostlybeenwelcomed.Microsoft’sdecisiontoforgonewfeaturesinreturnforbettersecurityisonethatmostcomputeruserswillprobablyapplaud. YetironicallyasMicrosoftslowlyimprovesthesecurityofitsproducts—byforinstanceincorporatingfirewalltechnologyanti-virussystemsandspamfilters—itsactionsincreasinglystarttoresemblethosethatinthepasthavegotthefirmintotroublewithregulators.Issecuritysoftwarean"adjacentsoftwaremarket"inwhichcaseMicrosoftmaybeleveragingitsdominanceoftheoperatingsystemintoitIntegratingsecurityproductsintoWindowsmightbeconsidered"bundling"whichwithregardtowebbrowsingsoexcitedAmerica’strustbustersinthe1990s.Andbuildingsecuritydirectlyintotheoperatingsystemseemsalotlike"commingling"softwarecodeonwhichbasistheEuropeanCommissionruledearlierthisyearthatMicrosoftabuseditsmarketpowerthroughtheWindowsMediaPlayer.MicrosoftisappealingagainstthatdecisionandonSeptember30thitwillargueforasuspensionofthecommission’sremediessuchastherequirementthatitlicenseitscodetorivals. JustlastmonththeEuropeanUnion’scompetitiondirectoratebegananinvestigationintoMicrosoftandTimeWarneralargemediafirmonthegroundsthattheirproposedjointacquisitionofContentGuardasoftwarefirmwhoseproductsprotectdigitalmediafilesmightprovideMicrosoftwithunduemarketpoweroverdigitalmediastandards.ThecommissionwillrulebyJanuary2005.Microsoftitseemsinsecurityaselsewhereisgoingtohavetogetusedtobeingpunishedforitssuccess.ItsWindowsmonopolyletsitenjoyexcessiveprofits—buttheresultingmonoculturemakesitanobvioustargetforvirusesandregulatorsalike. TheironicalpointisthatMicrosoft'simprovementofsecurity
[A]SowhatdotheAmericansthinkoftheforeignvisitorswhoarriveforthetorridheatjustwhenlocalsfromtheUnitedStatestendtoavoidDeathValleySaysparkrangerBrendaHenson"TheforeignerswanttoexperiencetheheatinDeathValley.Theythinkthisisneat.Ithinkit’scrazy." [B]Theplacethatthetourists—mainlyfromEurope—aredrawntoisanactuallyseriesofsaltflats225kmlongand6kmto26kmwide.Thesearingheatofthesunisreflectedupfromthisdryandwaterlessterrainandtheonlynoisethatbreaksthesilenceinthisvastvalleyisthecrunchofvisitors’shoesonthefinesaltcrystalsleftbyevaporation.Birdsandanimalsarelargelyabsentandonlythehardiestplantshaveanychanceofexistenceinthisunforgivinglandscape [C]Accordingtoparkrangersanaverageof1.3millionvisitorsentertheparkeachyear.FromJunethroughAugust90percentofthemareforeignerstheretoexperiencetheblisteringheatthatgivesDeathValleyitsname.ArtHortonmeteorologistfromtheNationalWeatherServicesaystheaveragehighinJulyis46.2degCandthelow30degC.ForAugusttheaveragehighis45.2degCandthelow29.4degC. [D]Allaroundmountainstowerabovethesaltflats.AcrosstheflatsvisitorscanseeTelescopePeakthehighestpointintheparkatmorethan3350m.Normallysnowcoveredinwinterthemountainrangeisbareinsummerbutattheedgesofthe Valleyofferssomeshadefromtheblisteringsun. [E]EvenDeathValley’shotnewsweathercanhaveextremesabovethat.ThehottdayseverrecordedwereonJune301994andJuly141972whentemperatulhit53.3degC.AndinwinterDeathValleycontinuestoliveuptoitsnamepducingcoldnessattheotherendofthescalethatcanbelife-threateningtoanyocaughtexposedinit.ThecoldestdayrecordedinDeathValleywasonJanuary31988whenitwas18degCbelowzero. [F]OnetouristfromParissumsuptheattractionverysimply:"Wecomeherebecatwecantellallourfriendsandfamilythatwe’vebeentothehottestplaceintworld"hesays. [G]DeathValleyisthelowesthottestdriestareainNorthAmerica.TheclimatethisCaliforniaNationalParkhaslessthanScmofrainfallayearandtemperaturesto53degCinsummer.That’senoughtokeepsensibleAmericansawayduringlhottestmonthsfromJunetoAugust.Butit’sthenthatthesizzlingtemperaturesastiflingheatdrawtheirmostavidfanstheforeigntourists.Fromallovertheglobtheydescendtothevalleyfloorinrentalcarscarryingmapsandwaterbottlesavigorouslyfanningthemselveswithnewspaperstokeepcool. Order: 45
Directions:Yougotaninvitationtotakepartinaparty.Writeadecliningletterwhichshouldinclude:1thepurposeofwritingthisletter;2thereasonsforyourabsence;3yourgoodwishestotheparticipants.Youshouldwriteabout100words.Donotsignyourownnameattheendoftheletter.UseLiMinginstead.Youdonotneedtowritetheaddress.
Manycountrieshaveatraditionofinvitingforeignerstorulethem.TheEnglishcalledinWilliamofOrangein1688anddependingonyourinterpretationofhistoryWilliamofNormandyin1066.Bothdidratheragoodjob.ReturningthecomplimentAlbaniaaskedawell-bredEnglishmancalledAubgreyHerberttobetheirkinginthe1920s.Herefused—andtheyendedupwithseveralcovescalledZog.Americathecountryofimmigrantshasnotruckwithimportedforeigntalent.Articletwooftheconstitutionsaysthatnopersonexceptanatural-borncitizen..shallbeeligibletotheofficeofthepresident.Thisisnowbeingchallengedbyaparticularlyirresistibleimmigrant:ArnoldSchwarzcnegger.BarelyayearhaspassedsincetheerstwhilecyborgswepttovictoryinCalifornia’srecallelectionyetthereisalreadyanAmend-for-ArnoldcampaigncollectingsignaturestolettheAustrian-borngovernorhaveagoattheWhiteHouse.GeorgeBushseniorhasweighedinonhisbehalf.ThereareseveralArnoldamendmentsinCongress:oneal-lowsforeignerswhohavebeennaturalizedcitizensfor20yearstobecomepresident.TheAustrianbecameAmericanin1983.Itiseasytodismissthehooplaasanotherregrettableexampleofloopycelebritypolitics.Mr.Schwarzeneggerhasmadeadecentstartasgovernorbuthebasdonelittleasyettochangethestructureofhisdysfunctionalstate.IndeedevenifthelawwerechangedhecouldwellbeelbowedasidebyanotherincomerthistimefromCanada:theDemocraticgovernorofMichiganJenniferGranholmwhoappearstohavefewerskeletonsinherclosetthanthehedonisticactor.MoreoverchangingtheAmericanconstitutionisnododdle.Ithashappenedonly17timessince1791whenthefirsttenamendmentswerecodifiedasthebillofrights.Tochangetheconstitutionanamendmenthastobeapprovedbytwo-thirdsofbothhousesofCongressandthentoberatifiedbythree-quartersofthe50states.TheArnoldamendmentishardlyinthesamecategoryasabolishingslaveryorgivingwomenthevote.AndassomewagspointoutAustrianimportshaveaprettydodgyrecordofrunningmil-itarysuperpowers.ThephrasehasnotruckwithLine1Paragraph2mostprobablymeans______.
Psychologistsoncebelievedthatthemotivethatcausedmentostrivetoattainhigh-levelmanagerialpositionswasthe"needforachievement".Butnowtheybelieveitisthe"needforpower". Powerseekersstrivehardtoreachpositionswheretheycanexerciseauthorityoverlargenumbersofpeople.46Individualperformerswholackthisdrivearenotlikelytoadvancefarupthemanagerialladder.Theyusuallyscorncompanypoliticsanddevotetheirenergiestoothertypesofactivities.Thepowergameispartofmanagementanditisplayedbestbythosewhoenjoyitmost. 47Oneoftheleastrationalactsofbusinessorganizationsisthatofhiringmanagerswhohaveahighneedtoexerciseauthorityandthenteachingthemthatauthoritativemethodsarewrongandthattheyshouldbeconsultativeorparticipative.48Itisaseriousmistaketoteachmanagersthattheyshouldadoptstylesthatareinconsistentwiththeiruniquepersonalities.Yetthisispreciselywhatalargenumberofbusinessorganizationsaredoing;anditexplainsinpartwhytheirmanagementdevelopmentprogramsarenoteffective. 49Whatmanagerialaspirantsshouldbetaughtishowtoexercisetheirauthorityinawaythatisappropriatetothesituationandthepeopleinvolved.Theyneedtolearnthattherealsourceoftheirpoweristheirownknowledgeandskillandthestrengthoftheirownpersonalitiesnottheauthorityconferredonthembytheirpositions.Whentheylacktheknowledgeorskillrequiredtoperformtheworktheyneedtoknowhowtosharetheirauthority.50ButwhentheyknowWhathastobedoneandhavetheskillandpersonalitytogetitdonetheymustexercisetheirtraditionalauthorityinwhateverwayisnecessary. Oneoftheleastrationalactsofbusinessorganizationsisthatofhiringmanagerswhohaveahighneedtoexerciseauthorityandthenteachingthemthatauthoritativemethodsarewrongandthattheyshouldbeconsultativeorparticipative.
[A]SowhatdotheAmericansthinkoftheforeignvisitorswhoarriveforthetorridheatjustwhenlocalsfromtheUnitedStatestendtoavoidDeathValleySaysparkrangerBrendaHenson"TheforeignerswanttoexperiencetheheatinDeathValley.Theythinkthisisneat.Ithinkit’scrazy." [B]Theplacethatthetourists—mainlyfromEurope—aredrawntoisanactuallyseriesofsaltflats225kmlongand6kmto26kmwide.Thesearingheatofthesunisreflectedupfromthisdryandwaterlessterrainandtheonlynoisethatbreaksthesilenceinthisvastvalleyisthecrunchofvisitors’shoesonthefinesaltcrystalsleftbyevaporation.Birdsandanimalsarelargelyabsentandonlythehardiestplantshaveanychanceofexistenceinthisunforgivinglandscape [C]Accordingtoparkrangersanaverageof1.3millionvisitorsentertheparkeachyear.FromJunethroughAugust90percentofthemareforeignerstheretoexperiencetheblisteringheatthatgivesDeathValleyitsname.ArtHortonmeteorologistfromtheNationalWeatherServicesaystheaveragehighinJulyis46.2degCandthelow30degC.ForAugusttheaveragehighis45.2degCandthelow29.4degC. [D]Allaroundmountainstowerabovethesaltflats.AcrosstheflatsvisitorscanseeTelescopePeakthehighestpointintheparkatmorethan3350m.Normallysnowcoveredinwinterthemountainrangeisbareinsummerbutattheedgesofthe Valleyofferssomeshadefromtheblisteringsun. [E]EvenDeathValley’shotnewsweathercanhaveextremesabovethat.ThehottdayseverrecordedwereonJune301994andJuly141972whentemperatulhit53.3degC.AndinwinterDeathValleycontinuestoliveuptoitsnamepducingcoldnessattheotherendofthescalethatcanbelife-threateningtoanyocaughtexposedinit.ThecoldestdayrecordedinDeathValleywasonJanuary31988whenitwas18degCbelowzero. [F]OnetouristfromParissumsuptheattractionverysimply:"Wecomeherebecatwecantellallourfriendsandfamilythatwe’vebeentothehottestplaceintworld"hesays. [G]DeathValleyisthelowesthottestdriestareainNorthAmerica.TheclimatethisCaliforniaNationalParkhaslessthanScmofrainfallayearandtemperaturesto53degCinsummer.That’senoughtokeepsensibleAmericansawayduringlhottestmonthsfromJunetoAugust.Butit’sthenthatthesizzlingtemperaturesastiflingheatdrawtheirmostavidfanstheforeigntourists.Fromallovertheglobtheydescendtothevalleyfloorinrentalcarscarryingmapsandwaterbottlesavigorouslyfanningthemselveswithnewspaperstokeepcool. Order: 43
Text1 Untilrecentlythemainvillainsofthepiecehadseemedtobetheteachers’unionswhohaveopposedanysortofreformoraccountability.Nowtheyfacecompetitionfromanunexpectedlydestructiveforce:thecourt.FiftyyearsagoitwasthejudgeswhoforcedtheschoolstodesegregatethroughBrownv.BoardofEducation1954.Nowthecourtshavemovedfrombroadprinciplestomicromanagementtellingschoolshowmuchmoneytospendandwhere—rightdowntothecorrectcomputerortextbook Twenty-fourstatesarecurrentlystuckinvariouscourtcasestodowithfinancingschoolsystemsandanother21haveonlyrecentlysettledvarioussuits.Mostwillstartagainsoon.Onlyfivestateshaveavoidedlitigationentirely. NothingexemplifiesthepowerofthecourtsbetterthananIl-year-oldcasethatisduetobesettledsortofinNewYorkCitythehomeofAmerica’sbiggestschoolsystemwith1.lmstudentsandabudgetnearing$13billion.AttheendofthismonththreeelderlymembersoftheNewYorkbarservingasjudicialrefereesareduetoruleinacasebroughtbytheCampaignforFiscalEquityaleftishadvocacygroupagainstthestateofNewYork:theywilldecidehowmuchmoremustbespenttoprovideeveryNewYorkCitypupilwitha"soundbasic"education. Rareisthepoliticianwillingtoarguethatmoremoneyforschoolsisabadthing.ButarethecourtsdoinganygoodTwosuspicionsarise.Firstjudgesaremakingalazyassumptionthatmoremoneymeansbetterschools.Astheinternationalresultsshowthelinkbetween"inputs"and"outputs"isvague—somethingwelldocumentedbyamongothersthelateSenatorDanielPatrickMoynihanofNewYork.Secondthecourtsaremuddlinganalreadymuddledsystem.Overtimetheyhavegenerallymadeithardertogetridofdisruptivepupilsandbadteachers. Thecurrentcasecouldbeevenworse.Thecourtshavealreadysaidthatinordertodeterminethenecessaryspendingtheymayconsidereverythingfromclasssizetotheavailabilityofcomputerstextbooksandevenpencils.Thisdegreeofinterventionisallthemorescandalousbecausethecourtshaveweirdlydecidedtoignoreanothersetof"inputs"—thearchaicworkpracticesofschoolteachersandjanitors.DavidSchoenbrodandRossSandlerofNewYorkLawSchoolreckonthedemandsofthecourtwillsimplyunderminereformandtransformanexpensivefailureintoamoreexpensiveone. Andofcoursethelitigationneverends.Kentuckyforexampleisstillincourt16yearsafterthefirstdecision.AlawsuitfirstfiledagainstNewJerseyforitsfundingofschoolsin1981was"decided"fouryearslater—butithasreturnedtothecourtninetimessinceincludingearlythisyearwitheachdecisionpushingthecourtdeeperintothemanagementofthestate’sschools.Badjudgesareevenhardertobootoutofschoolthanbadpupils. Theauthorseemstobelievethat
Companieshaveembarkedonwhatlookslikethebeginningsofare-runofthemergersandacquisitionsM&Awavethatdefinedthesecondbubblyhalfofthe1990s.Thatperiodreadersmightrecallwascharacterizedbyacollectivesplurgethatsawthecreationofsomeofthemostindebtedcompaniesinhistorymanyofwhichlaterwentbankruptorwerethemselvesbrokenup.Wildbiddingforteleeomsinternetandmediaas-setsnottomentionthemadnessthatwasDaimler’s$40billionmotoringtakeoverin1998—1999ofChryslerortheTime-Warner/AOLmegs-mergerin2000helpedtogivemergersathoroughlybadname.AconsensusemergedthatM&Awasagreatwayforin-vestmentbankstoreaprichfeesandasurewayforambitiousmanagerstobetrayinvestorsbytrashingthevalueoftheirshares.NowM&Aisback.ItsreturnisaglobalphenomenonbutitisperhapsmoststrikinginEuropewheresofarthisyeartherehasbeenastreamofdealsworthmorethan$600billionintotalaround40%higherthaninthesameperiodof2004.ThelatesteffortcamethisweekwhenFrance’sSaint-Gobainabuilding-materialsfirmunveiledthede-tailsofits3.6billion$6.5billionhostilebidforBPBaBritishrival.Inthefirsthalfoftheyearcross-borderactivitywasupthreefoldoverthesameperiodlastyear.EvenFranceTelecomwhichwasleftalmostbankruptattheendofthelastmergerwaverecentlyboughtAmenaaSpanishmobileoperator.Shareholder’sapprovalofallthesedealsraisesaninterestingquestionforcompanieseverywhere:areinvestorsrighttothinkthatthesemergersaremorelikelytosucceedthanearlierones.’Therearetwoanswers.Thefirstisthatpastmergersmayhavebeenjudgedtooharshly.ThesecondisthatthepresentrashofEuropeandealsdoeslookmoreration-albut—andthecaveatiscrucial—onlysofar.Thepatternmaynothold.M&A’spoorreputationstemsnotonlyfromthestringofspectacularfailuresinthe1990sbutalsofromstudiesthatshowedvaluedestructionforacquiringshareholdersin8.0%ofdeals.Butmorerecentstudiesbyeconomistshaveintroducedanoteofcaution.Investorsshouldlookatthenumberofdealsthatsucceedorfailtypicallymeasuredbytheimpactonthesharepriceratherthanasyoumightthinkweighingthembysize.ForexamplenoonedoubtsthattheDaimler-Chryslermergerdestroyedvalue.Thecom-binedmarketvalueofthetwofirmsisstillbelowthatofDaimleralonebeforethedeal.ThissingledealaccountedforhalfofallGermanM&Aactivitybyvaluein1998and1999andprobablydominatedpeople’sthinkingaboutmergerstothesamedegree.Throwinafewothersuchmonstersanditisnowonderthatbroadstudieshavetendedtofindthatmergersareabadidea.Thetruepictureismorecomplicated.Theconclusionreachedbygeneralresearchesisthatmergersarenot______.
[A]SowhatdotheAmericansthinkoftheforeignvisitorswhoarriveforthetorridheatjustwhenlocalsfromtheUnitedStatestendtoavoidDeathValleySaysparkrangerBrendaHenson"TheforeignerswanttoexperiencetheheatinDeathValley.Theythinkthisisneat.Ithinkit’scrazy." [B]Theplacethatthetourists—mainlyfromEurope—aredrawntoisanactuallyseriesofsaltflats225kmlongand6kmto26kmwide.Thesearingheatofthesunisreflectedupfromthisdryandwaterlessterrainandtheonlynoisethatbreaksthesilenceinthisvastvalleyisthecrunchofvisitors’shoesonthefinesaltcrystalsleftbyevaporation.Birdsandanimalsarelargelyabsentandonlythehardiestplantshaveanychanceofexistenceinthisunforgivinglandscape [C]Accordingtoparkrangersanaverageof1.3millionvisitorsentertheparkeachyear.FromJunethroughAugust90percentofthemareforeignerstheretoexperiencetheblisteringheatthatgivesDeathValleyitsname.ArtHortonmeteorologistfromtheNationalWeatherServicesaystheaveragehighinJulyis46.2degCandthelow30degC.ForAugusttheaveragehighis45.2degCandthelow29.4degC. [D]Allaroundmountainstowerabovethesaltflats.AcrosstheflatsvisitorscanseeTelescopePeakthehighestpointintheparkatmorethan3350m.Normallysnowcoveredinwinterthemountainrangeisbareinsummerbutattheedgesofthe Valleyofferssomeshadefromtheblisteringsun. [E]EvenDeathValley’shotnewsweathercanhaveextremesabovethat.ThehottdayseverrecordedwereonJune301994andJuly141972whentemperatulhit53.3degC.AndinwinterDeathValleycontinuestoliveuptoitsnamepducingcoldnessattheotherendofthescalethatcanbelife-threateningtoanyocaughtexposedinit.ThecoldestdayrecordedinDeathValleywasonJanuary31988whenitwas18degCbelowzero. [F]OnetouristfromParissumsuptheattractionverysimply:"Wecomeherebecatwecantellallourfriendsandfamilythatwe’vebeentothehottestplaceintworld"hesays. [G]DeathValleyisthelowesthottestdriestareainNorthAmerica.TheclimatethisCaliforniaNationalParkhaslessthanScmofrainfallayearandtemperaturesto53degCinsummer.That’senoughtokeepsensibleAmericansawayduringlhottestmonthsfromJunetoAugust.Butit’sthenthatthesizzlingtemperaturesastiflingheatdrawtheirmostavidfanstheforeigntourists.Fromallovertheglobtheydescendtothevalleyfloorinrentalcarscarryingmapsandwaterbottlesavigorouslyfanningthemselveswithnewspaperstokeepcool. Order: 41
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.5
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.17
In1929JohnD.Rockefellerdecideditwastimetosellshareswhenevenashoeshineboyofferedhimasharetip.DuringthepastweekTheEconomist’seconomicseditorhasbeenadvisedbyataxidriveraplumberandahairdresserthatyoucan’tgowronginvestinginhousing—themoreyouownthebetter.Isthisasignthatitistimetogetout.Attheveryleastashousepricesaroundtheworldclimbtoeverloftierheightsandmoreandmorepeoplejumpontothebuy-to-letladderitistimetoexposesomeofthefallaciesregularlytrottedoutbysomanyself-appointedhousingexperts.Onecommonerroristhathousepricesmustcontinuetorisebecauseofalimitedsupplyofland.ForinstanceitisarguedthathousepriceswillalwaysriseinLondonbecauselotsofpeoplewanttolivehere.Butthisconfusesthelevelofpriceswiththeirrateofchange.Homepricesareboundtobehigherinbigcitiesbecauseoflandscarcitybutthisdoesnotguaranteethaturbanhousepriceswillkeeprisingindefinitely—justlookatTokyo’shugeprice-dropssince1990.Andthoughitistruethatafixedsupplyofhomesmaypushuphousepricesifthepopulationisrisingthiswouldimplyasteadyriseinpricesnotthe20%annualjumpsofrecentyears.Asecondflawedargumentisthatlowinterestratesmakebuyingahomecheaperandsopushupdemandandprices.Lowerinterestratesmayhaveallowedsomepeoplewhootherwisecouldnothaveaffordedamortgagetobuyahome.Butmanyborrowerswhothinkmortgagesarecheaperaresufferingfrommoneyillusion.Interestratesarenotverylowinrealinflation-adjustedterms.Initialinterestpaymentsmayseemlowinrelationtoincomebutbecauseinflationisalsolowitwillnoterodetherealburdenofdebtasswiftlyasitoncedid.Soinlateryearsmortgagepaymentswillbemuchlargerinrealterms.Toarguethatlownominalinterestratesmakebuyingahomecheaperislikearguingthatacarloanpaidoffoverfouryearsischeaperthanonerepaidovertwoyears.FallacynumberthreeisafavouriteclaimofAlanGreenspanchairmanofAmerica’sFederalReserve.Thisisthatpricebubblesarelesslikelyinhousingthaninthestock-marketbecausehighertransactioncostsdiscouragespeculation.Infactseveralstudieshaveshownthatbothintheoryandinpracticebubblesaremorelikelyinhousingthaninshares.AstudybytheIMFfindsthatasharpriseinhousepricesisfarmorelikelytobefollowedbyabustthanashare-priceboom.Towhichofthefollowingistheauthorlikelytoagree
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.1
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.9
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.7
Apairofdicerolledagainandagainwilleventuallyproducetwosixes.Similarlythevirusthatcausesinfluenzaisconstantlychangingatrandomandonedaywillmutateinawaythatwillenableittoinfectbillionsofpeopleandtokillmillions.Manyexpertsnowbelieveaglobaloutbreakofpandemicfluisoverdueandthatthenextonecouldbeasbadastheonein1918whichkilledsomewherebetween25mand50mpeo-pie.Todayhoweveradvancesinmedicineofferrealhopethatanothersuchoutbreakcanbecontained—ifgovernmentsstartpreparingnow.Newresearchpublishedthisweeksuggeststhatarelativelysmallstockpileofananti-viraldrug—aslittleas3mdoses—couldbeenoughtolimitsharplyaflupandemicifthedrugsweredeployedquicklytopeopleintheareasurroundingtheinitialoutbreak.Thedrug’smanufacturerRocheistalkingtotheWorldHealthOrganisationaboutdonatingsuchastockpile.Thisisgoodnews.ButmuchmoreneedstobedoneespeciallywithanastystrainofavianfluspreadinginAsiawhichcouldmutateintoathreattohumans.SincetheSARSoutbreakin2003afewcountrieshavedevelopedplansinpreparationforsimilarepisodes.Butprogresshasbeenshamefullypatchyandthereisstillfartoolittleinternationalco-ordination.Aglobalstockpileofdrugsalonewouldnotbemuchusewithoutanadequatesystemofsurveillancetoidentifyearlycasesandawayofdeliveringtreatmentquickly.Ifanout-breakoccurredinaborderregionforexampleaswiftresponsewouldmostlikelydependonprioragreementsbetweendifferentcountriesaboutquarantineandcontainment.Reachingsuchagreementsisrarelyeasybutthatmakesthetaskallthemoreurgent.Richcountriestendtobebetterpreparedthanpooronesbutthisshouldbenoconsolationtothem.Fludoesnotrespectborders.Itisineveryone’sinteresttomakesurethatdevelopingcountriesespeciallyinAsiaarealsowellprepared.Manymaybridleatinterferencefromoutside.Butifrichernation’swerewillingtodonateanti-viraldrugsandguaranteeasupplyofanyvaccinethatbecomesavailablepoorernationsmightbewillingtoreachagreementsoversurveillanceandpreparedness.Simplysortingoutafewdetailsnowwillhavelivesandrecriminationslater.WilltherebeenoughventilatorsmakesanddrugsWherewillpeoplebetreatedifthehospitalsoverflow7WillfoodbedeliveredasnormalToomanycountrieshavenoanswerstothesequestions.Thespeedofremedydispatchisofimportanceto______.
Text2 InrecentyearsMicrosofthasfocusedonthreebigtasksbuildingrobustsecurityintoitssoftwareresolvingnumerousantitrustcomplaintsagainstitandupgradingitsWindowsoperatingsystem.Thesethreetasksarenowstartingtocollide. OnAugust27ththefirmsaidthatthesuccessortoitsWindowsXPoperatingsystemcode-namedLonghornwillgoonsalein2007withoutoneofitsmostimpressivefeatures:atechniquetointegrateelaboratesearchcapabilitiesintonearlyalldesktopapplications.OnthebrightsideLonghornwillcontainadvancesinrenderingimagesandenablingdifferentcomputingplatformstoexchangedatadirectlybetweenapplications.ItisabigsetbackforMicrosoftwhichconsiderssearchtechnologyapillarofitsfuturegrowth—notleastasitcompetesagainstGoogle. Thefirm’sfocusonsecurity—championedby]BillGateshimself—tookresourcesawayfromLonghornadmitsGregSullivanaleadproductmanagerintheWindowsclientdivision.ProgrammershavebeenfixingWindowsXPratherthanworkingonLonghorn.Inmid-AugustMicrosoftreleasedServicePack2ahugesetoffreesoftwarepatchesandenhancementstomakeWindowsXPmoresecure.Thoughsomeofthefixesturnedouttohavevulnerabilitiesoftheirownthepatcheshavemostlybeenwelcomed.Microsoft’sdecisiontoforgonewfeaturesinreturnforbettersecurityisonethatmostcomputeruserswillprobablyapplaud. YetironicallyasMicrosoftslowlyimprovesthesecurityofitsproducts—byforinstanceincorporatingfirewalltechnologyanti-virussystemsandspamfilters—itsactionsincreasinglystarttoresemblethosethatinthepasthavegotthefirmintotroublewithregulators.Issecuritysoftwarean"adjacentsoftwaremarket"inwhichcaseMicrosoftmaybeleveragingitsdominanceoftheoperatingsystemintoitIntegratingsecurityproductsintoWindowsmightbeconsidered"bundling"whichwithregardtowebbrowsingsoexcitedAmerica’strustbustersinthe1990s.Andbuildingsecuritydirectlyintotheoperatingsystemseemsalotlike"commingling"softwarecodeonwhichbasistheEuropeanCommissionruledearlierthisyearthatMicrosoftabuseditsmarketpowerthroughtheWindowsMediaPlayer.MicrosoftisappealingagainstthatdecisionandonSeptember30thitwillargueforasuspensionofthecommission’sremediessuchastherequirementthatitlicenseitscodetorivals. JustlastmonththeEuropeanUnion’scompetitiondirectoratebegananinvestigationintoMicrosoftandTimeWarneralargemediafirmonthegroundsthattheirproposedjointacquisitionofContentGuardasoftwarefirmwhoseproductsprotectdigitalmediafilesmightprovideMicrosoftwithunduemarketpoweroverdigitalmediastandards.ThecommissionwillrulebyJanuary2005.Microsoftitseemsinsecurityaselsewhereisgoingtohavetogetusedtobeingpunishedforitssuccess.ItsWindowsmonopolyletsitenjoyexcessiveprofits—buttheresultingmonoculturemakesitanobvioustargetforvirusesandregulatorsalike. Itisimpliedinthethirdparagraphthat
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.19
Psychologistsoncebelievedthatthemotivethatcausedmentostrivetoattainhigh-levelmanagerialpositionswasthe"needforachievement".Butnowtheybelieveitisthe"needforpower". Powerseekersstrivehardtoreachpositionswheretheycanexerciseauthorityoverlargenumbersofpeople.46Individualperformerswholackthisdrivearenotlikelytoadvancefarupthemanagerialladder.Theyusuallyscorncompanypoliticsanddevotetheirenergiestoothertypesofactivities.Thepowergameispartofmanagementanditisplayedbestbythosewhoenjoyitmost. 47Oneoftheleastrationalactsofbusinessorganizationsisthatofhiringmanagerswhohaveahighneedtoexerciseauthorityandthenteachingthemthatauthoritativemethodsarewrongandthattheyshouldbeconsultativeorparticipative.48Itisaseriousmistaketoteachmanagersthattheyshouldadoptstylesthatareinconsistentwiththeiruniquepersonalities.Yetthisispreciselywhatalargenumberofbusinessorganizationsaredoing;anditexplainsinpartwhytheirmanagementdevelopmentprogramsarenoteffective. 49Whatmanagerialaspirantsshouldbetaughtishowtoexercisetheirauthorityinawaythatisappropriatetothesituationandthepeopleinvolved.Theyneedtolearnthattherealsourceoftheirpoweristheirownknowledgeandskillandthestrengthoftheirownpersonalitiesnottheauthorityconferredonthembytheirpositions.Whentheylacktheknowledgeorskillrequiredtoperformtheworktheyneedtoknowhowtosharetheirauthority.50ButwhentheyknowWhathastobedoneandhavetheskillandpersonalitytogetitdonetheymustexercisetheirtraditionalauthorityinwhateverwayisnecessary. Whatmanagerialaspirantsshouldbetaughtishowtoexercisetheirauthorityinawaythatisappropriatetothesituationandthepeopleinvolved.
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.13
Text1 Untilrecentlythemainvillainsofthepiecehadseemedtobetheteachers’unionswhohaveopposedanysortofreformoraccountability.Nowtheyfacecompetitionfromanunexpectedlydestructiveforce:thecourt.FiftyyearsagoitwasthejudgeswhoforcedtheschoolstodesegregatethroughBrownv.BoardofEducation1954.Nowthecourtshavemovedfrombroadprinciplestomicromanagementtellingschoolshowmuchmoneytospendandwhere—rightdowntothecorrectcomputerortextbook Twenty-fourstatesarecurrentlystuckinvariouscourtcasestodowithfinancingschoolsystemsandanother21haveonlyrecentlysettledvarioussuits.Mostwillstartagainsoon.Onlyfivestateshaveavoidedlitigationentirely. NothingexemplifiesthepowerofthecourtsbetterthananIl-year-oldcasethatisduetobesettledsortofinNewYorkCitythehomeofAmerica’sbiggestschoolsystemwith1.lmstudentsandabudgetnearing$13billion.AttheendofthismonththreeelderlymembersoftheNewYorkbarservingasjudicialrefereesareduetoruleinacasebroughtbytheCampaignforFiscalEquityaleftishadvocacygroupagainstthestateofNewYork:theywilldecidehowmuchmoremustbespenttoprovideeveryNewYorkCitypupilwitha"soundbasic"education. Rareisthepoliticianwillingtoarguethatmoremoneyforschoolsisabadthing.ButarethecourtsdoinganygoodTwosuspicionsarise.Firstjudgesaremakingalazyassumptionthatmoremoneymeansbetterschools.Astheinternationalresultsshowthelinkbetween"inputs"and"outputs"isvague—somethingwelldocumentedbyamongothersthelateSenatorDanielPatrickMoynihanofNewYork.Secondthecourtsaremuddlinganalreadymuddledsystem.Overtimetheyhavegenerallymadeithardertogetridofdisruptivepupilsandbadteachers. Thecurrentcasecouldbeevenworse.Thecourtshavealreadysaidthatinordertodeterminethenecessaryspendingtheymayconsidereverythingfromclasssizetotheavailabilityofcomputerstextbooksandevenpencils.Thisdegreeofinterventionisallthemorescandalousbecausethecourtshaveweirdlydecidedtoignoreanothersetof"inputs"—thearchaicworkpracticesofschoolteachersandjanitors.DavidSchoenbrodandRossSandlerofNewYorkLawSchoolreckonthedemandsofthecourtwillsimplyunderminereformandtransformanexpensivefailureintoamoreexpensiveone. Andofcoursethelitigationneverends.Kentuckyforexampleisstillincourt16yearsafterthefirstdecision.AlawsuitfirstfiledagainstNewJerseyforitsfundingofschoolsin1981was"decided"fouryearslater—butithasreturnedtothecourtninetimessinceincludingearlythisyearwitheachdecisionpushingthecourtdeeperintothemanagementofthestate’sschools.Badjudgesareevenhardertobootoutofschoolthanbadpupils. Thethirdparagraphisintendedmainlyto
In1929JohnD.Rockefellerdecideditwastimetosellshareswhenevenashoeshineboyofferedhimasharetip.DuringthepastweekTheEconomist’seconomicseditorhasbeenadvisedbyataxidriveraplumberandahairdresserthatyoucan’tgowronginvestinginhousing—themoreyouownthebetter.Isthisasignthatitistimetogetout.Attheveryleastashousepricesaroundtheworldclimbtoeverloftierheightsandmoreandmorepeoplejumpontothebuy-to-letladderitistimetoexposesomeofthefallaciesregularlytrottedoutbysomanyself-appointedhousingexperts.Onecommonerroristhathousepricesmustcontinuetorisebecauseofalimitedsupplyofland.ForinstanceitisarguedthathousepriceswillalwaysriseinLondonbecauselotsofpeoplewanttolivehere.Butthisconfusesthelevelofpriceswiththeirrateofchange.Homepricesareboundtobehigherinbigcitiesbecauseoflandscarcitybutthisdoesnotguaranteethaturbanhousepriceswillkeeprisingindefinitely—justlookatTokyo’shugeprice-dropssince1990.Andthoughitistruethatafixedsupplyofhomesmaypushuphousepricesifthepopulationisrisingthiswouldimplyasteadyriseinpricesnotthe20%annualjumpsofrecentyears.Asecondflawedargumentisthatlowinterestratesmakebuyingahomecheaperandsopushupdemandandprices.Lowerinterestratesmayhaveallowedsomepeoplewhootherwisecouldnothaveaffordedamortgagetobuyahome.Butmanyborrowerswhothinkmortgagesarecheaperaresufferingfrommoneyillusion.Interestratesarenotverylowinrealinflation-adjustedterms.Initialinterestpaymentsmayseemlowinrelationtoincomebutbecauseinflationisalsolowitwillnoterodetherealburdenofdebtasswiftlyasitoncedid.Soinlateryearsmortgagepaymentswillbemuchlargerinrealterms.Toarguethatlownominalinterestratesmakebuyingahomecheaperislikearguingthatacarloanpaidoffoverfouryearsischeaperthanonerepaidovertwoyears.FallacynumberthreeisafavouriteclaimofAlanGreenspanchairmanofAmerica’sFederalReserve.Thisisthatpricebubblesarelesslikelyinhousingthaninthestock-marketbecausehighertransactioncostsdiscouragespeculation.Infactseveralstudieshaveshownthatbothintheoryandinpracticebubblesaremorelikelyinhousingthaninshares.AstudybytheIMFfindsthatasharpriseinhousepricesisfarmorelikelytobefollowedbyabustthanashare-priceboom.Theauthorofthetextmakesacomparisonin______.
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.11
Apairofdicerolledagainandagainwilleventuallyproducetwosixes.Similarlythevirusthatcausesinfluenzaisconstantlychangingatrandomandonedaywillmutateinawaythatwillenableittoinfectbillionsofpeopleandtokillmillions.Manyexpertsnowbelieveaglobaloutbreakofpandemicfluisoverdueandthatthenextonecouldbeasbadastheonein1918whichkilledsomewherebetween25mand50mpeo-pie.Todayhoweveradvancesinmedicineofferrealhopethatanothersuchoutbreakcanbecontained—ifgovernmentsstartpreparingnow.Newresearchpublishedthisweeksuggeststhatarelativelysmallstockpileofananti-viraldrug—aslittleas3mdoses—couldbeenoughtolimitsharplyaflupandemicifthedrugsweredeployedquicklytopeopleintheareasurroundingtheinitialoutbreak.Thedrug’smanufacturerRocheistalkingtotheWorldHealthOrganisationaboutdonatingsuchastockpile.Thisisgoodnews.ButmuchmoreneedstobedoneespeciallywithanastystrainofavianfluspreadinginAsiawhichcouldmutateintoathreattohumans.SincetheSARSoutbreakin2003afewcountrieshavedevelopedplansinpreparationforsimilarepisodes.Butprogresshasbeenshamefullypatchyandthereisstillfartoolittleinternationalco-ordination.Aglobalstockpileofdrugsalonewouldnotbemuchusewithoutanadequatesystemofsurveillancetoidentifyearlycasesandawayofdeliveringtreatmentquickly.Ifanout-breakoccurredinaborderregionforexampleaswiftresponsewouldmostlikelydependonprioragreementsbetweendifferentcountriesaboutquarantineandcontainment.Reachingsuchagreementsisrarelyeasybutthatmakesthetaskallthemoreurgent.Richcountriestendtobebetterpreparedthanpooronesbutthisshouldbenoconsolationtothem.Fludoesnotrespectborders.Itisineveryone’sinteresttomakesurethatdevelopingcountriesespeciallyinAsiaarealsowellprepared.Manymaybridleatinterferencefromoutside.Butifrichernation’swerewillingtodonateanti-viraldrugsandguaranteeasupplyofanyvaccinethatbecomesavailablepoorernationsmightbewillingtoreachagreementsoversurveillanceandpreparedness.Simplysortingoutafewdetailsnowwillhavelivesandrecriminationslater.WilltherebeenoughventilatorsmakesanddrugsWherewillpeoplebetreatedifthehospitalsoverflow7WillfoodbedeliveredasnormalToomanycountrieshavenoanswerstothesequestions.ThewordcontainedLine7Paragraph1mostprobablymeans______.
"WewantSingaporetohavetheX-factorthatbuzzthatyougetinLondonParisorNewYork."ThatishowLeeHsienLoongSingapore’sprimeminister1hisgovernment’sdecisionto2gamblinginthecountry3twolargeVegas-stylecasinos.WhetherthecasinoswillindeedhelptotransformSingapore’sstaidimageremainstobeseen.Butthedecisionhasalready4anuncharacteristicbuzzamongthecountry’snormally5citizens. Thegovernmenthascontemplatedandrejected6casinosseveraltimesinthepast.Onereasonwas7Singapore’seconomicgrowthwassorapidthatcasinosseemedlikeanunnecessaryevil.BuddhismandIslamtwoofthecountry’smainreligions8ongambling.Thegovernmentitselfhastraditionallyhadstrongandoften9ideasabouthowitscitizensshouldbehave.Untilrecentlyforexampleitrefusedto10homosexualstothecivilservice.Italsousedto11chewinggumwhichitconsidersapublicnuisance. Nowadays12Singapore’selectronicsindustrythemainstayoftheeconomyisstrugglingtocopewithcheapcompetitionfromplaceslikeChina.Inthefirstquarterofthisyearoutput13by5.8%atanannualrate.Sothegovernmentwantstopromotetourismandotherservicesto14forvanishingjobsinmanufacturing. MerrillLynchaninvestmentbank15thetwoproposedcasinoscould16inasmuchas$4billionintheinitialinvestmentalone.17itsestimatestheywouldhaveannualrevenuesof18$3.6billionandpayatleast$600millionintaxesandfees.Thegovernmentforitspartthinkstheintegrated19asitcoylycallsthecasinoswould20asmanyas35000jobs. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.3
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