This book is about how these basic beliefs and values affect important ______ of American life.A. facetsB. formatsC. formulasD. fashions

19Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard.(19)Workers at Mexican oil company will receive a healthy incentive of almost 300 a year if they meet certain body weight standards. To qualify for the bonus, they must maintain a healthy weight. For those who are overweight or obese, they could receive the bonus if they reduce their weight by 10% during the year. Some applaud the policy as fair, because it rewards both individuals who maintain a healthy weight and those who are working towards achieving it. (20) But critics say the policy contradicts recommendations by many health experts, who warn that a person's weight is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. That means weight can be hard for individuals to control, which makes the bonus unfair. Some experts say the policy is inconsistent with the science of what we know about body weight regulation. These experts argue that focusing on wage is the wrong approach. (21) A more productive method of encouraging health among employees is to promote healthy behaviors. For example, companies can give workers gym memberships, or encourage participation in lectures on healthy eating and living. They can also reduce sweets and provide healthier snacks in the office and healthier meals at the company canteen. Or they can give employees more time during their lunch break to exercise. These are much better and much more productive ways for companies to move forward on their employees’ wellbeing.Questions 19 to 21 are based on the passage you have just heard. Question 19. Who will qualify for the bonus in Mexican oil company?Question 20. What do critics think of Mexican oil company's bonus policy? Question 21. What do experts propose companies do about workers' wellbeing?A、Workers who meet its body weight standards.B、Workers who can lose 30 pounds in a year.C、Workers who try the hardest to lose weight.D、Workers who are in the top 10% of the slimmest.

colleague 、 interview 、 responsibility 、 advisor 、 receptionist 、 organized 、 candidate 、 comment 、 entry 、 perk 、 performance 、 impact 、 custodian 、 suit 、 assistant 、 document 、 workplace 、 ambitious 、 admit 、 offer1. n. 看门人，看守人 ____2. v. 适合，中……的意 ____3. n. 接待员____4. n. 额外待遇，津贴____5. n. 面试，面谈____6. n. 进入权，进入____7. n. 同事____8. n. 助理____9. n. 文件；公文____10. n. 工作场所____11. v.&n. 评论；发表意见____12. n. 影响；作用____13. n. 求职者；候选人____14. adj. 有抱负的；有野心的____15. n. 顾问____16. v. 承认____17. v.&n. 提供____18. adj. 有条理的____19. n. 表现；表演____20. n. 责任；职责____

A more productive method of encouraging health among employees is to promote healthy behaviors. For example, companies can give workers gym memberships or encourage participation in lectures on healthy eating and living. They can also reduce sweets and provide healthier snacks in the office and healthier meals at the company canteen, or they can give employees more time during their lunch break to exercise.Q: What do experts propose companies do about workers' wellbeing?听音频并回答音频中的问题A、Offer them much fatter bonuses.B、Improve working environment.C、Encourage healthy behaviors.D、Provide free lunch and snacks.

There's been _______ response to the UN Secretary-General's recent peace efforts.A. sureB. stableC. rightD. positive

The Web Way to Learn a Language The young woman seated next to us at a bar revealed a vaguely (异国的) air; her looks and style, we thought, made it likely that she was not American born. But then she spoke in perfect American English, even ending her declarative sentences in that rising questioning tone of many young Californians. As it turns out, however, she wasn’t from these parts after all; she was born in Iran and spoke only (波斯语) until her arrival here two years ago. What classes, we wondered, had she attended to learn the language so well "I didn’t," she said. "I used RosettaStone." Those yellow boxes sold at shopping-mall may be the most recognizable example of PC-based language learning, but it certainly isn’t the only one. With the growth of Internet connectivity and social networks, companies have introduced a wide range of Internet-based language learning products, both free and fee-based, that allow students to interact in real time with instructors in other countries, gain access to their lesson plans wherever they are in the world, and communicate with like-minded virtual pen pals who are also trying to remember if bambino means baby. Learning a language sometimes seems as difficult as dieting. The solution is to figure out how to stay interested after the novelty wears off. To counter boredom, online language programs have introduced crossword puzzles, interactive videos and other games to reward users for making progress. Online courses are either fee-based, free or a combination. Starter packages of fee-based programs may cost just a few hundred dollars, but the cost to reach higher levels of comprehension and speaking can easily be 1,000. While that may sound expensive, language company executives say it isn’t; college courses often cost many thousands of dollars to reach the same level. So, cost aside, how do you choose which program to use The answer is that one size doesn’t fit all. "The quality of feedback is important," according to Mike Levy, head of the school of languages and linguistics at Griffith University. "Sites with human contact work best," he said. "This shows the advantage of humans compared to computers. A computer is never as subtle or intelligent." Pay and learn RosettaStone, the best-known language program, now offers a 1,000 product that includes RosettaCourse, a traditional lesson-based module; RosettaStudio, a place where a user can talk to a native speaker via video chat; and RosettaWorld, an online community where you can play language-related games. "We offer modern-day pen pals facilitated with voice," said Tom Adams, the company’s chief executive. RosettaStone uses things like colorful flash cards to help students first learn basic words, and then connect those words to concepts and sentences. The idea, according to Mr. Adams, is for the user to let go of the adult "technical questions and just get into a comfort zone, learning new sounds and trying to make sense of them." One of RosettaStone’s main competitors, TellMeMore, believes it has an advantage because its software not only teaches words and phrases, but includes a speech recognition component that analyzes pronunciation, presents a graph of speech, and suggests how to perfect it. Other videos show students how to shape their mouths to create sounds difficult for native English speakers, like the rolling R in Spanish. With 10 levels of content, a 10,000-word vocabulary, videos of native speakers and more than 40 practice activities, TellMeMore believes it has enough material to keep a user motivated. TellMeMore charges 390 for a year’s access to its resources for six languages; those looking for a quick refresher can buy a 10 daily pass. Weekly, monthly and half-year passes are also available. The company’s product is currently available only on CD-ROM, but online versions for both Mac and Windows that will include real-time coaching are coming later this year. Free now, pay later Livemocha, a two-year-old Web start-up, offers free basic lessons in 30 languages. Users can apply for advanced courses with additional features on a monthly or six-month basis. For 20 a month, students can submit up to eight voice recordings to a native-speaking tutor, who will then review and make recommendations for improvement within 24 hours. For 70 every six months, students can submit up to two examples a lesson. All students, whether using the pay or free model, can join social networking groups and speak live to people around the world who are native speakers interested in learning English. As with all social networking sites, this feature is open to misuse. Within hours of signing up for Livemocha, I received a note from a young woman, (假装的) from Poland, "wanting to meet me." The company says it has "the world’s largest community of people learning languages," with five million registered users in 200 countries. Financed in part by the European Union, Babbel offers paid instruction (and a free trial lesson) in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish for 12 a month, or 6.62 a month for a six-month commitment. In addition to extended grammar and vocabulary, users can communicate with others in their desired language via private or public chats, or arrange to get in touch via voice. Free language learning If money is truly an object, a variety of free language learning is available from a number of sites. The British Broadcasting Corporation offers varying levels of instruction for 36 languages, with features including audio and video playback and translation. Looking to visit Deutschland The German television network, Deutsche Welle, can help you make yourself understood. And for those who not only want to learn another language but another alphabet as well, try japanese-online.corn, or Applications for a smartphone No program would be complete without an accompanying smartphone application, and many exist for the iPhone and other devices. Several are simple providers of useful phrases, including the Lonely Planet Phrasebooks, the Oxford Translator Travel Pro, and World Nomads. The Ultralingua Translation Dictionary offers simultaneous translation of English and six languages. Both RosettaStone and TellMeMore say that they are developing smartphone applications as supplements to their online programs, but neither has announced a release date. Livemocha expects to have an application later this year for both the Android and iPhone operating systems. The company plans on integrating text with a native speaker pronouncing the language, and providing the option for voice recording and live video feeds.As TellMeMore believes, what’s its own advantage over RosettaStone A．Its software contains more functions.B．It charges less than RosettaStone.C．Its product is available on CD-ROM.D．It has enough material to motivate users.

【多选题】If we say something is a drag, that’s to say ______.A. sth. difficultB. sth. too badC. sth. depressingD. sth. unpleasant

My twin sister grew up with the reputation of being the ______ of the family, the sporty one who participated in soccer and other organized sports.A. hot boyB. ladyboyC. toyboyD. tomboy

Reading new peaks of popularity in North America is Iceberg Water which is harvested from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Arthur von Wiesenberger, who carries the title Water Master, is one of the few water critics in North America. As a boy, he spent time in the larger cities of Italy, France and Switzerland, Where bottled water is consumed daily. Even then, he kept a water journal, noting the brands he liked best. "My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water." He says. But is plain tap water all that bad? Not at all. In fact, New York's municipal water for more than a century was called the champagne of tap water and until recently considered among the best in the world in terms of both taste and purity. Similarly, a magazine in England found that tap water from the Thames River tasted better than several leading brands of bottled water that were 400 times more expensive. Nevertheless, soft-drink companies view bottled water as the next battle-ground for market share-this despite the fact that over 25 percent of bottled water comes from tap water: PepsiCo's Aquafina and Coca-Cola's Dasani are both purified tap water rather than spring water. As diners thirst for leading brands, bottlers and restaurateurs salivate(垂涎) over the profits. A restaurant's typical mark-up on wine is 100 to 150 percent, whereas on bottled water it's often 300 to 500 percent. But since water is much cheaper than wine, and many of the fancier brands aren't available in stores, most dines don't notice or care. As a result, some restaurants are turning up the pressure to sell bottled water. According to an article in The Street Journal, some of the more shameless tactics include placing attractive bottles on the table for a visual sell, listing brands on the menu without prices, and pouring bottled water without even asking the dinners if they want it. Regardless of how it's sold, the popularity of bottled water taps into our desire for better health, our wish to appear cultivated, and even a longing for lost purity.1. What do we know about Iceberg Water from the passage?A: It is a kind of iced water.B: It is just plain tap water.C: It is a kind of bottled water.D: It is a kind of mineral water.2. By saying "My dog could tell the difference between bottled and tap water" (Para 2), von Wiesenberg wants to convey the message that _____.A: plain tap water is certainly unfit for drinkingB: bottled water is clearly superior to tap waterC: bottled water often appeals more to dogs tasteD: dogs can usually detect a fine difference in taste3. The "fancier brands" (Para. 5) refers to _____.A: tap water from the Thames RiverB: famous wines not sold in ordinary storesC: PepsiCo's Aquafina and Coca-Cola's DasaniD: expensive bottled water with impressive names4. Why are some restaurants turning up the pressure to sell bottled water? A: Bottled water brings in huge profits.B: Competition from the wine industry is intense.C: Most diners find bottled water affordable.D: Bottled water satisfied diners' desire to fashionable.5. According to passage, why is bottled water so popular? A: It is much cheaper than wine.B: It is considered healthier.C: It appeals to more cultivated people.D: It is more widely promoted in the market..

How long were the skydivers in freefall before their parachutes opened?A. For 13 seconds.B. For 30 seconds.C. For 50 seconds.D. For 150 seconds.