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Goodlooksthevideo-gamesindustryisdiscoveringwillgetyouonlysofar.Thegraphicsonamoderngamemayfaroutstripthepixellatedblobsofthe1980sbutthereismoretoagoodgamethaneyecandy.Photo-realisticgraphicsmakethelackofauthenticityofotheraspectsofgameplaymoreapparent.Itisnotenoughforgamecharacterstolookbetter—theirbehaviourmustalsobemoresophisticatedsayresearchersworkingattheinterfacebetweengamingandartificialintelligenceAI. Today’sgamesmaylookbetterbutthegameplayis"basicallythesame"asitwasafewyearsagosaysMichaelMateasthefounderoftheExperimentalGameLabattheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology.AIhesuggestsoffersan"untappedfrontier"ofnewpossibilities."Wearetoppingoutonthegraphicssowhat’sgoingtobethenextthingthatimprovesgame-play"asksJohnLairddirectoroftheAIlabattheUniversityofMichigan.ImprovedAIisabigpartoftheanswerhesays.Thoseintheindustryagree.Thehigh-definitiongraphicspossibleonnext-generationgamesconsolessuchasMicrosoft’sXbox360areraisingexpectationsacrosstheboardsaysNeilYoungofElectronicArtstheworld’sbiggestgamespublisher."Youhavetohavehigh-resolutionmodelswhichrequireshigh-resolutionanimation"hesays"sonowIexpecthigh-resolutionbehaviour." RepresentativesfromindustryandacademiawillconvergeinMarinadelReyCalifornialaterthismonthforthesecondannualArtificialIntelligenceandInteractiveDigitalEntertainmentAIIDEconference.TheaimsaysDrLairdwhowillchairtheeventistoincreasethetrafficofpeopleandideasbetweenthetwospheres."GameshavebeenveryimportanttoAIthroughtheyears"henotes.AlanTuringoneofthepioneersofcomputinginthe1940swroteasimplechess-playingprogrambeforetherewereanycomputerstoruniton;healsoproposedtheTuringtestaquestion-and-answergamethatisayardstickformachineintelligence.EvensoAIresearchandvideogamesexistedinseparateworldsuntilrecently.TheAItechniquesusedingameswereverysimplisticfromanacademicperspectivesaysDr.MateaswhileAIresearcherswereinturncluelessaboutmoderngames.Buthesays"bothsidesarelearningandarenowmuchcloser." Considerforexamplethesoftwarethatcontrolsanenemyinafirst-personshooterFPS—agameinwhichtheplayerviewstheworldalongthebarrelofagun.Thebehaviourofenemiesusedtobepre-scripted:waituntiltheplayerisnearbypopupfrombehindaboxfireweaponandthenrollandhidebehindanotherboxforexample.Butsomegamesnowusefarmoreadvanced"planningsystems"importedfromacademia."Insteadofscriptsandhand-codedbehaviourtheAImonstersinanFPScanreasonfromfirstprinciples"saysDr.Mateas.Theycanforexampleworkoutwhethertheplayercanseethemornotseekoutcoverwheninjuredandsoon."Ratherthanjustmovingbetweenpredefinedspotsthecharactersinawargamecandynamicallyshiftdependingonwhat’shappening"saysFionaSperryofElectronicArts. Iftheindustryisborrowingideasfromacademiatheoppositeisalsotrue.Commercialgamessuchas"UnrealTournament"whichcanbeeasilymodifiedorscriptedarebeingadoptedasresearchtoolsinuniversitiessaysDr.Laird.Suchtoolsprovideflexibleenvironmentsforexperimentsandalsomeanthatstudentsendupwithtransferableskills. ButthegreatestpotentialliesincombiningresearchwithgamedevelopmentarguesDr.Mateas."Onlybywrestlingwithrealcontentarethetechnicalproblemsrevealedandonlybywrestlingwithtechnologydoesitgiveyouinsightintowhatnewkindsofcontentarepossible"hesays. ThelastsentencesonowIexpecthigh-resolutionbehaviorinthesecondparagraphmostprobablymeans
Withaseriesofwell-timeddealsprivate-equityfirmsaregivingtraditionalmedia-managerscausetobeenvious.TheWarnerMusictransactioninwhichEdgarBronfmanjuniorandthreeprivate-equityfirmspaidTimeWarner＄2.6billionfortheunitin2003isalreadyjudgedafinancialtriumphforthebuyers.Theirsuccessislikelytodrawstillmoreprivate-equityintotheindustry.Andtheinvestmentsarelikelytogetbigger:individualprivate-equityfundsaregrowing—a＄10billionfundislikelythisyear—soeventhebiggestmediafirmscouldcomewithinrangeespeciallyifprivate-equityinvestorsclubtogether. Someprivate-equityfirmshavelongputmoneyinmediaassetsbutmostlyreliablerelativelyobscurebusinesseswithstablecashflows.Nowsomeofthemareplacingbigstrategicbetsonthemorevolatilebitssuchasmusicandmovies.Andtheyarecurrentlyfarmoreconfidentthanthemediaoldguardthattheadvertisingcycleisabouttoturnsharplyup-wards. Onereasonwhyprivate-equityismakingitspresencefeltinmediaisthatithasalotofmoneytoinvest.Otherindustriesarefeelingitsweighttoo.Butprivate-equity’sbuyingspree狂购乱买revealsalotaboutthemediabusinessinparticular.Mediaconglomerates联合公司lacktheconfidencetomakebigacquisitionsafterthelastwaveofdealswentwrong.ExecutivesatTimeWarnerforinstancewhichdisastrouslymergedwithAOLin2000wantedtobuyMGMamoviestudiobuttheboarditissaidweretoonervous.Insteadprivate-equityfirmscombinedwithSonyaconsumer-electronicsgianttobuyMGMlatelastyear. Private-equity’sinterestalsoreflectsthefactthatrevenuegrowthinmediabusinessessuchasbroadcastTVandradioisnowhardtocomeby.Theaverageannualgrowthratefor12categoriesofestablishedAmericanmediabusinessesin1998-2003excludingtheinternetwasjust3.4%saysVeronisSuhlerStevensonaninvestmentbank.Private-equityputsahighervalueonlow-growthhighcashflowassetsthanthepublicstockmarketsaysJonathanNelsonfounderofProvidenceEquityPartnersamedia-focusedprivate-equityfirm. Whatprivate-equitymennowbringtothemediabusinesstheyliketothinkisfinancialdisciplineplusanenthusiasticattitudetowardsnewtechnology.Old-stylemediamanagersclaimthenewcomersarestillindenialabouthowtechnologyistransformingtheirindustry. Traditionalmediamanagersgrudginglyagreethatsofarprivate-equityinvestorsaredoingverynicelyindeedfromtheirentertainmentdeals.ThebuyersofWarnerMusichavealreadygotbackmostoftheir$2.6billionfromthefirmbycuttingcostsissuingdebtandmakingspecialpayoutstoshareholders.Thisyearitsinvestorsareexpectedtolaunchaninitialpublicofferingwhichcouldbringthemhundredsofmillionsmore. Itcanbeinferredfromthetextthat
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.17
Addictionissuchaharmfulbehaviorinfactthatevolutionshouldhavelongagoweededitoutofthepopulation:ifit’shardtodrivesafelyundertheinfluenceimaginetryingtorunfromasaber-toothedtigerorcatchasquirrelforlunch.AndyetsaysDr.NoraVolkowdirectorofNIDAandapioneerintheuseofimagingtounderstandaddiction"theuseofdrugshasbeenrecordedsincethebeginningofcivilization.Humansinmyviewwillalwayswanttoexperimentwiththingstomakethemfeelgood." That’sbecausedrugsofabuseco-opttheverybrainfunctionsthatallowedourdistantancestorstosurviveinahostileworld.Ourmindsareprogrammedtopayextraattentiontowhatneurologistscallsalience—thatisspecialrelevance.Threatsforexamplearehighlysalientwhichiswhyweinstinctivelytrytogetawayfromthem.Butsoarefoodandsexbecausetheyhelptheindividualandthespeciessurvive.Drugsofabusecapitalizeonthisready-madeprogramming.Whenexposedtodrugsourmemorysystemsrewardcircuitsdecisionmakingskillsandconditioningkickin—salienceinoverdrive—tocreateanallconsumingpatternofuncontrollablecraving."Somepeoplehaveageneticpredispositiontoaddiction"saysVolkow."Butbecauseitinvolvesthesebasicbrainfunctionseveryonewillbecomeanaddictifsufficientlyexposedtodrugsoralcohol." Thatcangofornonchemicaladdictionsaswell.Behaviorsfromgamblingtoshoppingtosexmaystartoutashabitsbutslideintoaddictions.Sometimestheremightbeabehavior-specificrootoftheproblem.Volkow’sresearchgroupforexamplehasshownthatpathologicallyobesepeoplewhoarecompulsiveeatersexhibithyperactivityintheareasofthebrainthatprocessfoodstimuli—includingthemouthlipsandtongue.Forthemactivatingtheseregionsislikeopeningthefloodgatestothepleasurecenter.Almostanythingdeeplyenjoyablecanturnintoanaddictionthough. Ofcoursenoteveryonebecomesanaddict.That’sbecausewehaveothermoreanalyticalregionsthatcanevaluateconsequencesandoverridemerepleasureseeking.Brainimagingisshowingexactlyhowthathappens.PaulusforexamplelookedatdrugaddictsenrolledinaVAhospital’sintensivefour-weekrehabilitationprogram.Thosewhoweremorelikelytorelapseinthefirstyearaftercompletingtheprogramwerealsolessabletocompletetasksinvolvingcognitiveskillsandlessabletoadjusttonewrulesquickly.Thissuggestedthatthosepatientsmightalsobelessadeptatusinganalyticalareasofthebrainwhileperformingdecision-makingtasks.Sureenoughbrainscansshowedthattherewerereducedlevelsofactivationintheprefrontalcortexwhererationalthoughtcanoverrideimpulsivebehavior.It’simpossibletosayifthedrugsmighthavedamagedtheseabilitiesintherelapsersaneffectratherthanacauseofthechemicalabuse—butthefactthatthecognitivedeficitexistedinonlysomeofthedruguserssuggeststhattherewassomethinginnatethatwasuniquetothem.TohissurprisePaulusfoundthat80%to90%ofthetimehecouldaccuratelypredict:whowouldrelapsewithinayearsimplybyexaminingthescans. Anotherareaoffocusforresearchersinvolvesthebrain’srewardsystempoweredlargelybytheneurotransmitterdopamine.Investigatorsarelookingspecificallyatthefamilyofdopaminereceptorsthatpopulatenervecellsandbindtothecompound.Thehopeisthatifyoucanreducetheeffectofthebrainchemicalthatcarriesthepleasurablesignalyoucanloosenthedrug’shold. Compulsiveeatersaretypicalexampleof
Directions: Youaregoingtoreadatextaboutbasicelementinbothspeakingandwritingfollowedbyalistofexamplesandexplanations.ChoosethebestexampleorexplanationfromthelistA-Fforeachnumberedsubheading41-45.Thereisoneextraexamplewhichyoudonotneedtouse.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1. Therearemanydifferencesbetweencommunicatinginwrittenandspokenwords—onetooneoronetomany.Becausespeakingisfacetofaceandpersonalitismuchmoredirectthanwriting.Handandbodygesturesfacialexpressionsandvocalvarietyhelpgreatlytosupportface-to-facecommunication.Itisalsoreinforcedbyinstantfeedbackfromlistenersintheformofsmilesfrownsapplausecatcallsclenchedfistsandsoon.Analertspeakerwhoissensitivetofeedbackcan"shiftgears"andadapttochangingcircumstances. 41.Thedifferencesbetweentalkingandwriting Writinghoweverdependssolelyonwordsandpunctuationtodeliverthemessage.Therearenogesturesandnovoiceandifthereisanyfeedbackittakestimetoreachthewriter. 42.Whylongsentencescanbeusedinwriting Effectivetalkingisaimedatpeople’smindsandheartsthroughtheirearsandearsprefershortdirectconversationalsentences. Therearethreestandardsthatapplyequallytotalkingandwriting—clarityaccuracyandappropriateness. 43.Clarity. Iftheaudiencedoesn’tunderstandthemessageinstantlythenthespeakerhastosomeextentfailed.Thuseverypossiblemeasuremustbetakentoensurethatallyourwordsandthoughtsareperfectlycleartotheaudience. 44.Accuracy. Asaconscientiousspeakeryoumustseetoitthatyourinformationisascurrentandasaccurateasresearchcanmakeit. 45.Appropriateness. Inadditiontobeingpreciseyourlanguageshouldalsobesuitabletothesubjectaudienceandoccasion. [A]Forinstanceaspeakercanvaryhis/herpitchortonetochangethemeaningexpressed.Awriterontheotherhandhastorelysolelyonthewordsandcontextorevenexplanationsinbracestoachievethat. [B]Goodtalkingiswordyrepetitiveandfarlessstructuredthanefficientwriting.Agoodspeechreproducedwordforwordonpaperusuallydoesnotreadwellbecauseitramblesandrepeatswordsandthoughts.Itisnotnearlyasdisciplinedandorganizedasgoodwriting. [C]Throughoutyourtalkwordsareyourprimemeansforhelpingyouraudienceunderstandyourmessage.Andtoharnesstheprofoundpowerofwordsyoushoulddevelopalifelonghabitofusingadictionaryandathesaurus.Ifyoudonotexploittheseresources.youwillfailtoachieveyourfullpotentialasaspeakerandconversationalist.Anotherdevicethatwillhelpyouachieveclarityinyourtalkisasummary.Ifyourtalkconsistsofthreewillresearchedmajorpointslitthosepointsinyourintroductionsoyouraudiencewillknowatoncewhatgroundyouwillcover.Discussthemindepthsummarizethemattheendofyourtalkandemphasizeanyconclusionshattheyleadto. [D]Forexampleaspeakerwho’saddressingaParent-TeacherAssociationshouldavoidthestatisticalandpsychologicaljargonofadvancededucationalresearchers.Bythesametokensheshouldnotindulgeinteenageslang.Anyspeakerworthhersaltwillanalyzeheraudiencefirstandadaptherlanguageaccordingly. [E]Thesurestwayforyoutodamageyourcredibilityistospewforthmisinformationoroutdatedinformation.HowmanytimeshaveyouseenastoryanameanimportantfactorachargeagainstsomeoneretractedinnewspapersUnfortunatelythedamagewasdonewhenthemisinformationfirstappearedinprint.Suchunwarrantedembarrassmentandmentalanguishcouldhavebeenavoidedifsomeonehadtakenthetimetorechecktheinformation.Ifyourtalkisonacurrentorcrucialtopicdoyourhomeworkandarmyourselfwithquotationsandsourcestofortifyyourfacts. [F]Longinvolvedsentencesareacceptableinwritingfortworeasons:1Theeyecanabsorbmanymorewordsinaninstantthantheearcanhear.2Ifareaderstumblesonamarathonsentenceshecanreaditagain.Notsowithspokenwords—onceutteredthey’regoneespeciallyinspeech.Ifalistenermissesasentencebothsheandthespeakerhavelostpartofthemessage;thereisnogoingbackexceptperhapsduringthequestion-and-answerperiod.Inaconversationofcoursethelistenercanaskthespeakertorepeat. 41
Halfwaythrough"TheRebelSell"theauthorspausetomakefunof"free-range"chicken.Payingovertheoddstoensurethatdinnerwasnotinapreviouslifeconfinedtotinycagesisallwellandgood.But"afree-rangechickenisaboutasplausibleasasun-lovingearth-worm":givenachoicechickensprefertocurlupinanicedarkcornerofthebarn.Onlyabout15%of"free-range"chickensactuallyusethespaceavailabletothem. ThisisjustonecaseinwhichJosephHeathwhoteachesphilosophyattheUniversityofTorontoandAndrewPotterajournalistandresearcherbasedinMontrealfindfaultwithwell-meaningbutintheirviewultimatelynaiveconsumerswhohopetodistancethemselvesfromconsumerismbybuyingtheirshoesfromMotherJonesmagazineinsteadofNike.MrHeathandMrPotterarguethat"thecounterculture"inallitsattemptstobesubversivehasdonenothingmorethancreatenewsegmentsofthemarketandthusendsupfeedingtheverymonsterofconsumerismandconformityithopestodestroy.IntheprocesstheycoverMarxFreudtheexperimentsonobedienceofStanleyMilgramthefilms"Pleasantville""TheMatrix"and"AmericanBeauty"15th-centurytablemannersNormanMailertheUnabomberreal-estatepricesincentralTorontomorethanoncethevoluntary-simplicitymovementandtheworld’sfunniestjoke. WhyrangesowidelyTheauthors’beefiswithaverysmallgroup:left-wingactivistswhoeschewsmallerpotentiallyusefulcampaignsinfavorofgrandstatementsaboutthehopelessnessofconsumercultureandthedangersof"sellingout".Insteadofencouragingusefulactivitiessuchaspushingfornewlegislationwould-beleftistsarelefttoparticipateinunstructuredpointlessdemonstrationsagainst"globalizationorbuyfair-tradecoffeeandflee-rangechickenwhichonlysubstitutessnobberyforactivism.TwoauthorsofbooksthatrailedagainstbrandsNaomiKlein"NoLogo"andAlissaQuart"Branded"comeinforspecialderisionfordiagnosingtheproblemsofconsumerismbutrefusingtoofferpracticalsolutions. AnticipatingcriticismperhapsMessrsHeathandPottermakesuretoputforthafewoftheirownsolutionssuchasthe35-hourworkingweekandschooluniformstokeepteenagersfromcompetingwitheachothertowearever-more-expensiveclothes.Increasingconsumptiontheyarguethroughoutisnotimposeduponstupidworkersbyoverbearingcompaniesbutarisesasaresultofacultural"armsrace":eachpersonbuysmoretokeephisstandardoflivinghighrelativetohisneighbors’.Imposingsomerestrictionssuchasashorterworkingweekmightnotstopthearmsracebutitwouldatleastcurbitsmostoffensiveexcesses.Thisassumesonefindsexcessconsumptionoffensive;eventheauthorsdonotseementirelysure. Butonthewaytosuchmodestsuggestionstheauthorswanttocriticiseeveryaspectofthecounterculturefromitsdisdainforhomogenisationfranchisesandbrandstoitspoliticaloffshoots.Asaresultthebookwanders:chaptersonuniformsandonthesearchfor"cool"couldhavebeencut.Moreovertheauthorsmakethemistakeofassumingthattheconsumerstheysympathisewith—theoneswhobuybrandsandliveintracthouses—knowenoughtoseparatethemselvesfromtheirpurchaseswhereasthefree-trade-coffeebuyersswallowthebrandmessageswholeasitwere. Stillitwouldbeashameifthebook’sramblingskeptitfromgettingread.Whenitfocusesonexplaininghowthecounterculturegrewoutofpost-WorldWarⅡcritiquesofmodemsociety"TheRebelSell"isalivelyreadwithenoughhumourtokeepthemoretheoreticalstretchesofitsargumentinteresting.Attheveryleastitputsitsfingeronatrend:therewillbeplentyoffuturecriticsofcapitalismliningupfortheirfree-rangechicken. Thepassageisobviouslytakenfroma
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.3
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.1
Withaseriesofwell-timeddealsprivate-equityfirmsaregivingtraditionalmedia-managerscausetobeenvious.TheWarnerMusictransactioninwhichEdgarBronfmanjuniorandthreeprivate-equityfirmspaidTimeWarner＄2.6billionfortheunitin2003isalreadyjudgedafinancialtriumphforthebuyers.Theirsuccessislikelytodrawstillmoreprivate-equityintotheindustry.Andtheinvestmentsarelikelytogetbigger:individualprivate-equityfundsaregrowing—a＄10billionfundislikelythisyear—soeventhebiggestmediafirmscouldcomewithinrangeespeciallyifprivate-equityinvestorsclubtogether. Someprivate-equityfirmshavelongputmoneyinmediaassetsbutmostlyreliablerelativelyobscurebusinesseswithstablecashflows.Nowsomeofthemareplacingbigstrategicbetsonthemorevolatilebitssuchasmusicandmovies.Andtheyarecurrentlyfarmoreconfidentthanthemediaoldguardthattheadvertisingcycleisabouttoturnsharplyup-wards. Onereasonwhyprivate-equityismakingitspresencefeltinmediaisthatithasalotofmoneytoinvest.Otherindustriesarefeelingitsweighttoo.Butprivate-equity’sbuyingspree狂购乱买revealsalotaboutthemediabusinessinparticular.Mediaconglomerates联合公司lacktheconfidencetomakebigacquisitionsafterthelastwaveofdealswentwrong.ExecutivesatTimeWarnerforinstancewhichdisastrouslymergedwithAOLin2000wantedtobuyMGMamoviestudiobuttheboarditissaidweretoonervous.Insteadprivate-equityfirmscombinedwithSonyaconsumer-electronicsgianttobuyMGMlatelastyear. Private-equity’sinterestalsoreflectsthefactthatrevenuegrowthinmediabusinessessuchasbroadcastTVandradioisnowhardtocomeby.Theaverageannualgrowthratefor12categoriesofestablishedAmericanmediabusinessesin1998-2003excludingtheinternetwasjust3.4%saysVeronisSuhlerStevensonaninvestmentbank.Private-equityputsahighervalueonlow-growthhighcashflowassetsthanthepublicstockmarketsaysJonathanNelsonfounderofProvidenceEquityPartnersamedia-focusedprivate-equityfirm. Whatprivate-equitymennowbringtothemediabusinesstheyliketothinkisfinancialdisciplineplusanenthusiasticattitudetowardsnewtechnology.Old-stylemediamanagersclaimthenewcomersarestillindenialabouthowtechnologyistransformingtheirindustry. Traditionalmediamanagersgrudginglyagreethatsofarprivate-equityinvestorsaredoingverynicelyindeedfromtheirentertainmentdeals.ThebuyersofWarnerMusichavealreadygotbackmostoftheir$2.6billionfromthefirmbycuttingcostsissuingdebtandmakingspecialpayoutstoshareholders.Thisyearitsinvestorsareexpectedtolaunchaninitialpublicofferingwhichcouldbringthemhundredsofmillionsmore. Traditionalmediamanagersmightbeenviousbecause
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.11
Halfwaythrough"TheRebelSell"theauthorspausetomakefunof"free-range"chicken.Payingovertheoddstoensurethatdinnerwasnotinapreviouslifeconfinedtotinycagesisallwellandgood.But"afree-rangechickenisaboutasplausibleasasun-lovingearth-worm":givenachoicechickensprefertocurlupinanicedarkcornerofthebarn.Onlyabout15%of"free-range"chickensactuallyusethespaceavailabletothem. ThisisjustonecaseinwhichJosephHeathwhoteachesphilosophyattheUniversityofTorontoandAndrewPotterajournalistandresearcherbasedinMontrealfindfaultwithwell-meaningbutintheirviewultimatelynaiveconsumerswhohopetodistancethemselvesfromconsumerismbybuyingtheirshoesfromMotherJonesmagazineinsteadofNike.MrHeathandMrPotterarguethat"thecounterculture"inallitsattemptstobesubversivehasdonenothingmorethancreatenewsegmentsofthemarketandthusendsupfeedingtheverymonsterofconsumerismandconformityithopestodestroy.IntheprocesstheycoverMarxFreudtheexperimentsonobedienceofStanleyMilgramthefilms"Pleasantville""TheMatrix"and"AmericanBeauty"15th-centurytablemannersNormanMailertheUnabomberreal-estatepricesincentralTorontomorethanoncethevoluntary-simplicitymovementandtheworld’sfunniestjoke. WhyrangesowidelyTheauthors’beefiswithaverysmallgroup:left-wingactivistswhoeschewsmallerpotentiallyusefulcampaignsinfavorofgrandstatementsaboutthehopelessnessofconsumercultureandthedangersof"sellingout".Insteadofencouragingusefulactivitiessuchaspushingfornewlegislationwould-beleftistsarelefttoparticipateinunstructuredpointlessdemonstrationsagainst"globalizationorbuyfair-tradecoffeeandflee-rangechickenwhichonlysubstitutessnobberyforactivism.TwoauthorsofbooksthatrailedagainstbrandsNaomiKlein"NoLogo"andAlissaQuart"Branded"comeinforspecialderisionfordiagnosingtheproblemsofconsumerismbutrefusingtoofferpracticalsolutions. AnticipatingcriticismperhapsMessrsHeathandPottermakesuretoputforthafewoftheirownsolutionssuchasthe35-hourworkingweekandschooluniformstokeepteenagersfromcompetingwitheachothertowearever-more-expensiveclothes.Increasingconsumptiontheyarguethroughoutisnotimposeduponstupidworkersbyoverbearingcompaniesbutarisesasaresultofacultural"armsrace":eachpersonbuysmoretokeephisstandardoflivinghighrelativetohisneighbors’.Imposingsomerestrictionssuchasashorterworkingweekmightnotstopthearmsracebutitwouldatleastcurbitsmostoffensiveexcesses.Thisassumesonefindsexcessconsumptionoffensive;eventheauthorsdonotseementirelysure. Butonthewaytosuchmodestsuggestionstheauthorswanttocriticiseeveryaspectofthecounterculturefromitsdisdainforhomogenisationfranchisesandbrandstoitspoliticaloffshoots.Asaresultthebookwanders:chaptersonuniformsandonthesearchfor"cool"couldhavebeencut.Moreovertheauthorsmakethemistakeofassumingthattheconsumerstheysympathisewith—theoneswhobuybrandsandliveintracthouses—knowenoughtoseparatethemselvesfromtheirpurchaseswhereasthefree-trade-coffeebuyersswallowthebrandmessageswholeasitwere. Stillitwouldbeashameifthebook’sramblingskeptitfromgettingread.Whenitfocusesonexplaininghowthecounterculturegrewoutofpost-WorldWarⅡcritiquesofmodemsociety"TheRebelSell"isalivelyreadwithenoughhumourtokeepthemoretheoreticalstretchesofitsargumentinteresting.Attheveryleastitputsitsfingeronatrend:therewillbeplentyoffuturecriticsofcapitalismliningupfortheirfree-rangechicken. Thewordeschewline1paragraph3isclosestinmeaningto
Goodlooksthevideo-gamesindustryisdiscoveringwillgetyouonlysofar.Thegraphicsonamoderngamemayfaroutstripthepixellatedblobsofthe1980sbutthereismoretoagoodgamethaneyecandy.Photo-realisticgraphicsmakethelackofauthenticityofotheraspectsofgameplaymoreapparent.Itisnotenoughforgamecharacterstolookbetter—theirbehaviourmustalsobemoresophisticatedsayresearchersworkingattheinterfacebetweengamingandartificialintelligenceAI. Today’sgamesmaylookbetterbutthegameplayis"basicallythesame"asitwasafewyearsagosaysMichaelMateasthefounderoftheExperimentalGameLabattheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology.AIhesuggestsoffersan"untappedfrontier"ofnewpossibilities."Wearetoppingoutonthegraphicssowhat’sgoingtobethenextthingthatimprovesgame-play"asksJohnLairddirectoroftheAIlabattheUniversityofMichigan.ImprovedAIisabigpartoftheanswerhesays.Thoseintheindustryagree.Thehigh-definitiongraphicspossibleonnext-generationgamesconsolessuchasMicrosoft’sXbox360areraisingexpectationsacrosstheboardsaysNeilYoungofElectronicArtstheworld’sbiggestgamespublisher."Youhavetohavehigh-resolutionmodelswhichrequireshigh-resolutionanimation"hesays"sonowIexpecthigh-resolutionbehaviour." RepresentativesfromindustryandacademiawillconvergeinMarinadelReyCalifornialaterthismonthforthesecondannualArtificialIntelligenceandInteractiveDigitalEntertainmentAIIDEconference.TheaimsaysDrLairdwhowillchairtheeventistoincreasethetrafficofpeopleandideasbetweenthetwospheres."GameshavebeenveryimportanttoAIthroughtheyears"henotes.AlanTuringoneofthepioneersofcomputinginthe1940swroteasimplechess-playingprogrambeforetherewereanycomputerstoruniton;healsoproposedtheTuringtestaquestion-and-answergamethatisayardstickformachineintelligence.EvensoAIresearchandvideogamesexistedinseparateworldsuntilrecently.TheAItechniquesusedingameswereverysimplisticfromanacademicperspectivesaysDr.MateaswhileAIresearcherswereinturncluelessaboutmoderngames.Buthesays"bothsidesarelearningandarenowmuchcloser." Considerforexamplethesoftwarethatcontrolsanenemyinafirst-personshooterFPS—agameinwhichtheplayerviewstheworldalongthebarrelofagun.Thebehaviourofenemiesusedtobepre-scripted:waituntiltheplayerisnearbypopupfrombehindaboxfireweaponandthenrollandhidebehindanotherboxforexample.Butsomegamesnowusefarmoreadvanced"planningsystems"importedfromacademia."Insteadofscriptsandhand-codedbehaviourtheAImonstersinanFPScanreasonfromfirstprinciples"saysDr.Mateas.Theycanforexampleworkoutwhethertheplayercanseethemornotseekoutcoverwheninjuredandsoon."Ratherthanjustmovingbetweenpredefinedspotsthecharactersinawargamecandynamicallyshiftdependingonwhat’shappening"saysFionaSperryofElectronicArts. Iftheindustryisborrowingideasfromacademiatheoppositeisalsotrue.Commercialgamessuchas"UnrealTournament"whichcanbeeasilymodifiedorscriptedarebeingadoptedasresearchtoolsinuniversitiessaysDr.Laird.Suchtoolsprovideflexibleenvironmentsforexperimentsandalsomeanthatstudentsendupwithtransferableskills. ButthegreatestpotentialliesincombiningresearchwithgamedevelopmentarguesDr.Mateas."Onlybywrestlingwithrealcontentarethetechnicalproblemsrevealedandonlybywrestlingwithtechnologydoesitgiveyouinsightintowhatnewkindsofcontentarepossible"hesays. TheexampleofFPSisusedinthepassageto
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.9
Addictionissuchaharmfulbehaviorinfactthatevolutionshouldhavelongagoweededitoutofthepopulation:ifit’shardtodrivesafelyundertheinfluenceimaginetryingtorunfromasaber-toothedtigerorcatchasquirrelforlunch.AndyetsaysDr.NoraVolkowdirectorofNIDAandapioneerintheuseofimagingtounderstandaddiction"theuseofdrugshasbeenrecordedsincethebeginningofcivilization.Humansinmyviewwillalwayswanttoexperimentwiththingstomakethemfeelgood." That’sbecausedrugsofabuseco-opttheverybrainfunctionsthatallowedourdistantancestorstosurviveinahostileworld.Ourmindsareprogrammedtopayextraattentiontowhatneurologistscallsalience—thatisspecialrelevance.Threatsforexamplearehighlysalientwhichiswhyweinstinctivelytrytogetawayfromthem.Butsoarefoodandsexbecausetheyhelptheindividualandthespeciessurvive.Drugsofabusecapitalizeonthisready-madeprogramming.Whenexposedtodrugsourmemorysystemsrewardcircuitsdecisionmakingskillsandconditioningkickin—salienceinoverdrive—tocreateanallconsumingpatternofuncontrollablecraving."Somepeoplehaveageneticpredispositiontoaddiction"saysVolkow."Butbecauseitinvolvesthesebasicbrainfunctionseveryonewillbecomeanaddictifsufficientlyexposedtodrugsoralcohol." Thatcangofornonchemicaladdictionsaswell.Behaviorsfromgamblingtoshoppingtosexmaystartoutashabitsbutslideintoaddictions.Sometimestheremightbeabehavior-specificrootoftheproblem.Volkow’sresearchgroupforexamplehasshownthatpathologicallyobesepeoplewhoarecompulsiveeatersexhibithyperactivityintheareasofthebrainthatprocessfoodstimuli—includingthemouthlipsandtongue.Forthemactivatingtheseregionsislikeopeningthefloodgatestothepleasurecenter.Almostanythingdeeplyenjoyablecanturnintoanaddictionthough. Ofcoursenoteveryonebecomesanaddict.That’sbecausewehaveothermoreanalyticalregionsthatcanevaluateconsequencesandoverridemerepleasureseeking.Brainimagingisshowingexactlyhowthathappens.PaulusforexamplelookedatdrugaddictsenrolledinaVAhospital’sintensivefour-weekrehabilitationprogram.Thosewhoweremorelikelytorelapseinthefirstyearaftercompletingtheprogramwerealsolessabletocompletetasksinvolvingcognitiveskillsandlessabletoadjusttonewrulesquickly.Thissuggestedthatthosepatientsmightalsobelessadeptatusinganalyticalareasofthebrainwhileperformingdecision-makingtasks.Sureenoughbrainscansshowedthattherewerereducedlevelsofactivationintheprefrontalcortexwhererationalthoughtcanoverrideimpulsivebehavior.It’simpossibletosayifthedrugsmighthavedamagedtheseabilitiesintherelapsersaneffectratherthanacauseofthechemicalabuse—butthefactthatthecognitivedeficitexistedinonlysomeofthedruguserssuggeststhattherewassomethinginnatethatwasuniquetothem.TohissurprisePaulusfoundthat80%to90%ofthetimehecouldaccuratelypredict:whowouldrelapsewithinayearsimplybyexaminingthescans. Anotherareaoffocusforresearchersinvolvesthebrain’srewardsystempoweredlargelybytheneurotransmitterdopamine.Investigatorsarelookingspecificallyatthefamilyofdopaminereceptorsthatpopulatenervecellsandbindtothecompound.Thehopeisthatifyoucanreducetheeffectofthebrainchemicalthatcarriesthepleasurablesignalyoucanloosenthedrug’shold. AccordingtoDr.NoraVolkowtheuseofdrugs
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.19
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.13
Halfwaythrough"TheRebelSell"theauthorspausetomakefunof"free-range"chicken.Payingovertheoddstoensurethatdinnerwasnotinapreviouslifeconfinedtotinycagesisallwellandgood.But"afree-rangechickenisaboutasplausibleasasun-lovingearth-worm":givenachoicechickensprefertocurlupinanicedarkcornerofthebarn.Onlyabout15%of"free-range"chickensactuallyusethespaceavailabletothem. ThisisjustonecaseinwhichJosephHeathwhoteachesphilosophyattheUniversityofTorontoandAndrewPotterajournalistandresearcherbasedinMontrealfindfaultwithwell-meaningbutintheirviewultimatelynaiveconsumerswhohopetodistancethemselvesfromconsumerismbybuyingtheirshoesfromMotherJonesmagazineinsteadofNike.MrHeathandMrPotterarguethat"thecounterculture"inallitsattemptstobesubversivehasdonenothingmorethancreatenewsegmentsofthemarketandthusendsupfeedingtheverymonsterofconsumerismandconformityithopestodestroy.IntheprocesstheycoverMarxFreudtheexperimentsonobedienceofStanleyMilgramthefilms"Pleasantville""TheMatrix"and"AmericanBeauty"15th-centurytablemannersNormanMailertheUnabomberreal-estatepricesincentralTorontomorethanoncethevoluntary-simplicitymovementandtheworld’sfunniestjoke. WhyrangesowidelyTheauthors’beefiswithaverysmallgroup:left-wingactivistswhoeschewsmallerpotentiallyusefulcampaignsinfavorofgrandstatementsaboutthehopelessnessofconsumercultureandthedangersof"sellingout".Insteadofencouragingusefulactivitiessuchaspushingfornewlegislationwould-beleftistsarelefttoparticipateinunstructuredpointlessdemonstrationsagainst"globalizationorbuyfair-tradecoffeeandflee-rangechickenwhichonlysubstitutessnobberyforactivism.TwoauthorsofbooksthatrailedagainstbrandsNaomiKlein"NoLogo"andAlissaQuart"Branded"comeinforspecialderisionfordiagnosingtheproblemsofconsumerismbutrefusingtoofferpracticalsolutions. AnticipatingcriticismperhapsMessrsHeathandPottermakesuretoputforthafewoftheirownsolutionssuchasthe35-hourworkingweekandschooluniformstokeepteenagersfromcompetingwitheachothertowearever-more-expensiveclothes.Increasingconsumptiontheyarguethroughoutisnotimposeduponstupidworkersbyoverbearingcompaniesbutarisesasaresultofacultural"armsrace":eachpersonbuysmoretokeephisstandardoflivinghighrelativetohisneighbors’.Imposingsomerestrictionssuchasashorterworkingweekmightnotstopthearmsracebutitwouldatleastcurbitsmostoffensiveexcesses.Thisassumesonefindsexcessconsumptionoffensive;eventheauthorsdonotseementirelysure. Butonthewaytosuchmodestsuggestionstheauthorswanttocriticiseeveryaspectofthecounterculturefromitsdisdainforhomogenisationfranchisesandbrandstoitspoliticaloffshoots.Asaresultthebookwanders:chaptersonuniformsandonthesearchfor"cool"couldhavebeencut.Moreovertheauthorsmakethemistakeofassumingthattheconsumerstheysympathisewith—theoneswhobuybrandsandliveintracthouses—knowenoughtoseparatethemselvesfromtheirpurchaseswhereasthefree-trade-coffeebuyersswallowthebrandmessageswholeasitwere. Stillitwouldbeashameifthebook’sramblingskeptitfromgettingread.Whenitfocusesonexplaininghowthecounterculturegrewoutofpost-WorldWarⅡcritiquesofmodemsociety"TheRebelSell"isalivelyreadwithenoughhumourtokeepthemoretheoreticalstretchesofitsargumentinteresting.Attheveryleastitputsitsfingeronatrend:therewillbeplentyoffuturecriticsofcapitalismliningupfortheirfree-rangechicken. Thejokeaboutfree-rangechickenisusedinthetextto
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.15
Addictionissuchaharmfulbehaviorinfactthatevolutionshouldhavelongagoweededitoutofthepopulation:ifit’shardtodrivesafelyundertheinfluenceimaginetryingtorunfromasaber-toothedtigerorcatchasquirrelforlunch.AndyetsaysDr.NoraVolkowdirectorofNIDAandapioneerintheuseofimagingtounderstandaddiction"theuseofdrugshasbeenrecordedsincethebeginningofcivilization.Humansinmyviewwillalwayswanttoexperimentwiththingstomakethemfeelgood." That’sbecausedrugsofabuseco-opttheverybrainfunctionsthatallowedourdistantancestorstosurviveinahostileworld.Ourmindsareprogrammedtopayextraattentiontowhatneurologistscallsalience—thatisspecialrelevance.Threatsforexamplearehighlysalientwhichiswhyweinstinctivelytrytogetawayfromthem.Butsoarefoodandsexbecausetheyhelptheindividualandthespeciessurvive.Drugsofabusecapitalizeonthisready-madeprogramming.Whenexposedtodrugsourmemorysystemsrewardcircuitsdecisionmakingskillsandconditioningkickin—salienceinoverdrive—tocreateanallconsumingpatternofuncontrollablecraving."Somepeoplehaveageneticpredispositiontoaddiction"saysVolkow."Butbecauseitinvolvesthesebasicbrainfunctionseveryonewillbecomeanaddictifsufficientlyexposedtodrugsoralcohol." Thatcangofornonchemicaladdictionsaswell.Behaviorsfromgamblingtoshoppingtosexmaystartoutashabitsbutslideintoaddictions.Sometimestheremightbeabehavior-specificrootoftheproblem.Volkow’sresearchgroupforexamplehasshownthatpathologicallyobesepeoplewhoarecompulsiveeatersexhibithyperactivityintheareasofthebrainthatprocessfoodstimuli—includingthemouthlipsandtongue.Forthemactivatingtheseregionsislikeopeningthefloodgatestothepleasurecenter.Almostanythingdeeplyenjoyablecanturnintoanaddictionthough. Ofcoursenoteveryonebecomesanaddict.That’sbecausewehaveothermoreanalyticalregionsthatcanevaluateconsequencesandoverridemerepleasureseeking.Brainimagingisshowingexactlyhowthathappens.PaulusforexamplelookedatdrugaddictsenrolledinaVAhospital’sintensivefour-weekrehabilitationprogram.Thosewhoweremorelikelytorelapseinthefirstyearaftercompletingtheprogramwerealsolessabletocompletetasksinvolvingcognitiveskillsandlessabletoadjusttonewrulesquickly.Thissuggestedthatthosepatientsmightalsobelessadeptatusinganalyticalareasofthebrainwhileperformingdecision-makingtasks.Sureenoughbrainscansshowedthattherewerereducedlevelsofactivationintheprefrontalcortexwhererationalthoughtcanoverrideimpulsivebehavior.It’simpossibletosayifthedrugsmighthavedamagedtheseabilitiesintherelapsersaneffectratherthanacauseofthechemicalabuse—butthefactthatthecognitivedeficitexistedinonlysomeofthedruguserssuggeststhattherewassomethinginnatethatwasuniquetothem.TohissurprisePaulusfoundthat80%to90%ofthetimehecouldaccuratelypredict:whowouldrelapsewithinayearsimplybyexaminingthescans. Anotherareaoffocusforresearchersinvolvesthebrain’srewardsystempoweredlargelybytheneurotransmitterdopamine.Investigatorsarelookingspecificallyatthefamilyofdopaminereceptorsthatpopulatenervecellsandbindtothecompound.Thehopeisthatifyoucanreducetheeffectofthebrainchemicalthatcarriesthepleasurablesignalyoucanloosenthedrug’shold. Wecaninferfromthepassagethatwemaycureaddictionby
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.5
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic—inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia—oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year＄10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattackmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached＄1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhatlmillionarenow—ieabout0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCorDonANSWERSHEET1.7
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