When it came to concealing his troubles, Tommy Wilhelm was not less capable than the next fellow. So at least he thought, and there was a certain amount of evidence to back him up. He had once been an actor—no, not quite, an extra—and he knew what acting should be. Also, he was smoking a cigar, and when a man is smoking a cigar, wearing a hat, he has an advantage: it is harder to find out how he feels. He came from the twenty-third floor down to the lobby on the mezzanine to collect his mail before breakfast, and he believed — he hoped — that he looked passably well: doing all right. It was a matter of sheer hope, because there was not much that he could add to his present effort. On the fourteenth floor he looked for his father to enter the elevator; they often met at this hour, on the way to breakfast. If he worried about his appearance it was mainly for his old father's sake. But there was no stop on the fourteenth, and the elevator sank and sank. Then the smooth door opened and the great dark-red uneven carpet that covered the lobby billowed toward Wilhelm's feet. In the foreground the lobby was dark, sleepy. French drapes like sails kept out the sun, but three high, narrow windows were open, and in the blue air Wilhelm saw a pigeon about to light on the great chain that supported the marquee of the movie house directly underneath the lobby. For one moment he heard the wings beating strongly.Most of the guests at the Hotel Gloriana were past the age of retirement. Along Broadway in the Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties, a great part of New York's vast population of old men and women lives. Unless the weather is too cold or wet they fill the benches about the tiny railed parks and along the subway gratings from Verdi Square to Columbia University, they crowd the shops and cafeterias, the dime stores, the tearooms, the bakeries, the beauty parlors, the reading rooms and club rooms. Among these old people at the Gloriana, Wilhelm felt out of place. He was comparatively young, in his middle forties, large and blond, with big shoulders; his back was heavy and strong, if already a little stooped or thickened. After breakfast the old guests sat down on the green leather armchairs and sofas in the lobby and began to gossip and look into the papers: they had nothing to do but wait out the day. But Wilhelm was used to an active life and liked to go out energetically in the morning. And for several months, because he had no position, he had kept up his morale by rising early: he was shaved and in the lobby by eight o'clock. He bought the paper and some cigars and drank a Coca-Cola or two before he went in to breakfast with his father. After breakfast—out, out, out to attend to business. The getting out had in itself become the chief business. But he had realized that he could not keep this up much longer, and today he was afraid. He was aware that his routine was about to break up and he sensed that a huge trouble long presaged(预感)but till now formless was due. Before evening, he'd know.Nevertheless he followed his daily course and crossed the lobby.Rubin, the man at the newsstand, had poor eyes. They may not have been actually weak but they were poor in expression, with lacy lids that furled down at the corners. He dressed well. It didn't seem necessary—he was behind the counter most of the time—but he dressed very well. He had on a rich brown suit; the cuffs embarrassed the hairs on his small hands. He wore a Countess Mara painted necktie. As Wilhelm approached, Rubin did not see him; he was looking out dreamily at the Hotel Ansonia, which was visible from his corner, several blocks away. The Ansonia, the neighborhood's great landmark, was built by Stanford White. It looks like a baroque palace from Prague or Munich enlarged a hundred times, with towers, domes, huge swells and bubbles of metal gone green from exposure, iron fretwork and festoons. Black television antennae are densely planted on its round summits. Under the changes of weather it may look like marble or like sea water, black as slate in the fog, white as tufa in sunlight. This morning it looked like the image of itself reflected in deep water, white and cumulous above, with cavernous distortions underneath. Together, the two men gazed at it. Then Rubin said, “Your dad is in to breakfast already, the old gentleman.”“Oh, yes？Ahead of me today？”“That's a real knocked-out shirt you got on,” said Rubin.“Where’s it from, Saks？”“No, it’s a Jack Fagman—Chicago.” Even when his spirits were low, Wilhelm could still wrinkle his forehead in a pleasing way. Some of the slow, silent movements of his face were very attractive. He went back a step, as if to stand away from himself and get a better look at his shirt. His glance was comic, a comment upon his untidiness. He liked to wear good clothes, but once he had put it on each article appeared to go its own way. Wilhelm, laughing, panted a little; his teeth were small; his cheeks when he laughed and puffed grew round, and he looked much younger than his years. In the old days when he was a college freshman and wore a beanie(无檐小帽)on his large blonde head his father used to say that, big as he was, he could charm a bird out of a tree. Wilhelm had great charm still.“I like this dove-gray color,” he said in his sociable, good-natured way. “It isn’t washable. You have to send it to the cleaner. It never smells as good as washed. But it’s a nice shirt. It cost sixteen, eighteen bucks.”【小题1】Wilhelm hoped he looked all right on his way to the lobby because he wanted to________.A．leave a good impressionB．give his father a surpriseC．show his acting potentialD．disguise his low spirit【小题2】Wilhelm had something in common with the old guests in that they all ________.A．lived a luxurious lifeB．liked to swap gossipsC．idled their time awayD．liked to get up early【小题3】How did Wilhelm feel when he was crossing the lobby(Para.2)?A．He felt something ominous was coming.B．He was worried that his father was late.C．He was feeling at ease among the old.D．He was excited about a possible job offer.【小题4】What can we learn from the author's description of Wilhelm's clothes?A．His shirt made him look better.B．He cared much about his clothes.C．He looked like a comedian in his shirt.D．The clothes he wore never quite matched.

He________seen the film.A. might not haveB. may be notC. may notD. maybe has notE. 但是一直没人能证明鱼比其他多种食物对大脑更好

A) To make the building appear traditional.B) To cut the construction cost to the minimum.C) To match the style of construction on the site.D) To embody the subcommittee’s design concepts.Passage TwoQuestions 19 to 22 are based on the passage you have just heard.19 A) Sell financial software.B) Write financial software.C) Conduct research on financial software.D) Train clients to use financial software.20 A) Rewarding.B) Unsuccessful.C) Tedious.D) Important.21 A) He provided individual support.C) It was frequently visited by heads ofstate.D) It is furnished like one in a royalpalace.21.A. It is elaborately decorated. B. It has survived some 2000 years. C. It is very big, with only six slim legs. D. like an ancient Spanishboat. E. 22. F. They are uncomfortable to sit in forlong. G. They do not match the oval table at all. They have lost some of their legs. They are interesting to look at. Passage Three Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passageyou have just heard. 23. It is an uncommon infectious disease. It destroys the patient's ability tothink. It is a disease very difficult todiagnose. It is the biggest crippler of youngadults. 24. Search for the best cure. Hurry up and live life. Write a book about her life. xercise more and work harder. 25. Aggressive. Adventurous. Sophisticated. s. When the passage is readfor the first time,you should listen carefully for its general idea.When the passage is read forthe second time,you are required to fill in the blanks with the exact words you have justheard. Finally,when the passage is read for the third time,you should check what you havewritten. 注意:此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。 It's difficult to estimate the number ofyoungsters involved in home schooling, wherechildren are not sent to schooland receive their formal education from one or both parents. ______ andcourt decisions have made it legally possible in most states for parentstoeducate their children at home, and each year more people take advantage ofthatopportunity. Some states require parents or a home tutor to meet teachercertificationstandards, and many require parents to complete legal forms toverify that their children arereceiving (27)______ in state-approvedcurricula. tion claim that it'sless expensive and far more (28)______ thanmass public education. Moreover,they cite several advantages: alleviation of schoolovercrowding, strengthenedfamily relationships, lower (29)______ rates, the fact that studentsareallowed to learn at their own rate, increased (30)______, higher standardizedtest scores,and reduced (31)______ problems. riticsof the home schooling movement (32)______ that it creates as many problems asitsolves. They acknowledge that, in a few cases, home schooling offerseducational opportunitiessuperior to those found in most public schools, butfew parents can provide such educationaladvantages. Some parents who withdrawtheir children from the schools (33)______ homeschooling have an inadequateeducational background and insufficient formal training to provideasatisfactory education for their children. Typically, parents have fewertechnological resources(34)______ than do schools. However, the relativelyinexpensive computer technology that isreadily available today is causing someto challenge the notion that home schooling is in anyway (35)______ morehighly structured classroom education. 2013年12月英语六级听力真题2 Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes) Section A Directions:In this section,you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations.Atthe end of each conversation,one or more questions will be asked about what was said.Boththe conversation and the questions will be spoken only once.After each question there will be apause.During the pause,you must read the four choices marked A),B),C)and D),and decidewhich is the best answer,Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a singleline through the centre.

Ricky Gervais’s new film, The Invention of Lying, is about a world where lying doesn’t exist, which means that everybody tells the truth, and everybody believes everything everybody else says. "I’ve always hated you," a man tells a work colleague. "He seems nice, if a bit fat," a woman says about her date. It’s all truth, all the time, at whatever the cost. Until one day, when Mark, a down-on-his-luck loser played by Gervais, discovers a thing called "lying" and what it can get him. Within days, Mark is rich. famous, and courting the girl of his dreams. And be cause nobody knows what "lying" is, he goes on, happily living what has become a complete and utter farce. It’s meant to be funny, but it’s also a more serious commentary on us all. As Americans, we like to think we value the truth. Time and time again, public-opinion polls show that honesty is among the top five characteristics we want in a leader, friend, or lover; the world is full of woeful stories about the tragic consequences of betrayal. At the same time, deception is all around us. We are lied to by government officials and public figures to a disturbing degree; many of our social relationships are based on little white lies we tell each other. We deceive our children, only to be deceived by them in return. And the average person, says psychologist Robert Feldman, the author of a new book on lying, tells at least three lies in the first 10 minutes of a conversation. "There’s always been a lot of lying," says Feldman, whose new book, The Liar in Your Life, came out this month. "But I do think we’re seeing a kind of cultural shift where we’re lying more, it’s easier to lie, and in some ways it’s almost more acceptable." As Paul Ekman. one of Feldman’s longtime lying colleagues and the inspiration behind the Fox TV series "Lie To Me," defines it, a liar is a person who "intends to mislead," "deliberately," without being asked to do so by the target of the lie. Which doesn’t mean that all lies are equally toxic: some are simply habitual ―"My pleasure! "―while others might be well-meaning while lies. But each. Feldman argues, is harmful, because of the standard it creates. And the more lies we tell, even if they’re little white lies, the more deceptive we and society become. We are a culture of liars, to put it bluntly, with deceit so deeply ingrained in our mind that we hardly even notice we’re engaging in it. Spam e-mail (垃垃圾邮件), deceptive advertising, the everyday pleasantries we don’t really mean―"It’s so great to meet you! ""I love that dress"― have. as Feldman puts it, become "a while noise we’ve learned to neglect." And Feldman also argues that cheating is more common today than ever. The Josephson Institute, a nonprofit focused on youth ethics, concluded in a 2008 survey of nearly 30,000 high school students that "cheating in school continues to be spreading, and it’s getting worse." In that survey, 64 percent of students said they’d cheated on a test during the past year, up from 60 percent in 2006. Another recent survey, by Junior Achievement, revealed that more than a third of teens believe lying, cheating, or copying can be necessary, to succeed, while a brand-new study, commissioned by the publishers of Feldman’s book, shows that 18-to 34-year-olds―those of us fully reared in this lying culture―deceive more frequently than the general population. Teaching us to lie is not the purpose of Feldman’s book. His subtitle, in fact, is "the way to truthful relationships." But if his book teaches us anything, it’s that we should sharpen our skills― and use them with abandon. Liars get what they want. They avoid punishment, and they win others’ affection. Liars make themselves sound smart and intelligent, they attain power over those of us who believe them, and they often use their lies to rise up in the professional world. Many liars have fun doing it. And many more take pride in getting away with it. As Feldman notes, there is an evolutionary basis for deception: in the wild, animals use deception to "play dead" when threatened. But in the modern world, the motives of our lying are more selfish. Research has linked socially successful people to those who are good liars. Students who succeed academically get picked for the best colleges, despite the fact that, as one recent Duke University study found, as many as 90 percent of high-schoolers admit to cheating. Even lying adolescents are more popular among their peers. And all it takes is a quick flip of the remote to see how our public figures fare when they get caught in a lie: Clinton keeps his wife and goes on to become a national hero. Fabricating author James Frey gets a million-dollar book deal. Eliot Spitzer’s wife stands by his side, while "Appalachian hiker" Mark Sanford still gets to keep his post. If everyone else is being rewarded for lying, don’t we need to lie, too, just to keep up But what’s funny is that even as we admit to being liars, study after study shows that most of us believe we can tell when others are lying to us. And while lying may be easy, spotting a liar is far from it. A nervous sweat or shifty eyes can certainly mean a person’s uncomfortable, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re lying. Gaze aversion, meanwhile, has more to do with shyness than actual deception. Even polygraph machines are unreliable. And according to one study, by researcher Bella DePaulo, we’re only able to differentiate a lie from truth only 47 percent of the time, less than if we guessed randomly. "Basically everything we’ve heard about catching a liar is wrong." says Feldman, who heads the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Universily of Massachusetts. Amherst. Ekman, meanwhile, has spent decades studying micro-facial expressions of liars: the split-second eyebrow arch that shows surprise when a spouse asks who was on the phone; the furrowed nose that gives away a hint of disgust when a person says "1 love you." He’s trained everyone from the Secret Service to the TSA, and believes that with close study, ifs possible to identify those tiny emotions. The hard part. of course, is proving them. "A lot of times, it’s easier to believe," says Feldman. "II takes a lot of cognitive effort to think about whether someone is lying to us." Which means that more often than not, we’re like the poor dumb souls of The Invention of Lying, hanging on a liar’s every word, no matter how untruthful they may be.Junior Achievement has found that more than one third of the teenagers believe that ______. A．most teachers are trustworthyB．the issue of ethics is out-of-dateC．deceiving is essential for successD．personality is related to education

Task 4The following is an informal email to a friend. After reading it, fill in each blank with no more than three words. Hi Sandra,How are things? Hope your studies and your part-time job are both going well.Things haven’t been so good with me recently, as I’m finding it really difficult to focus on my studies. I’m not sure why, but I just can’t seem to get motivated. Take yesterday, for example. I had a really important deadline to meet (my business studies assignment was due in), but I spent most of the day looking out the window!Of course, the assignment wasn’t ready in time, so I had to go and explain that to Dr. Sterne, my business studies teacher. He was really nice about it and said the deadline could be extended until next week. The problem is I have two more deadlines (for other courses) to meet for next week! I feel stressed, but I still can’t focus on what I’m supposed to be doing.I think that some of the problem might be my roommates. They’re far too much fun! I can’t focus on my work when they’re around as it’s just too tempting to go and see what they’re doing. Like me, they’re not very focused but, so far, I’m the only one who seems to be getting stressed!Hope you don’t mind me writing to you about this. I know you’ve always been good at managing your time and your studies, and I’d be really grateful for any advice you could give me.Hope to hear from you soon!Jilly 16. What did Jilly do yesterday?She spent a lot of time looking ____________________. 17. How did Dr Sterne react to the missed deadline?He said Jilly could hand it in ____________________.18. What is Jilly worried about?She has ____________________ to meet next week. 19. What problem does Jilly have with her roommates?She thinks they’re ____________________.20. What does Jilly want from Sandra?She wants Sandra to ____________________.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making significant inroads into the field of education in recent years. It has the potential to revolutionize the way students learn and teachers teach.One of the key applications of AI in education is personalized learning. Through the use of machine learning algorithms, AI systems can analyze a student's performance, learning style, and preferences. Based on this analysis, they can provide customized learning materials and paths. For example, if a student is struggling with a particular concept in math, the AI-powered learning platform can identify the areas of weakness and offer targeted practice problems, video tutorials, and additional resources. This personalized approach ensures that each student receives the support they need at their own pace, rather than being forced to follow a one-size-fits-all curriculum.Another important aspect is intelligent tutoring systems. These are computer-based systems that can act as virtual tutors. They can answer students' questions, provide instant feedback on assignments, and guide students through complex topics. Intelligent tutoring systems are available 24/7, which means students can get help whenever they need it, regardless of time or location. They also adapt to the student's progress, adjusting the level of difficulty as the student masters new skills.AI is also being used to improve assessment in education. Traditional assessment methods, such as exams and quizzes, often provide a limited view of a student's knowledge and skills. AI-enabled assessment tools can analyze a wider range of data, including students' interactions with learning materials, their participation in online discussions, and their performance on practical tasks. This more comprehensive assessment can give teachers a more accurate understanding of a student's strengths and weaknesses, allowing for more targeted instruction.However, the integration of AI in education also raises some concerns. There are worries about data privacy, as AI systems collect and analyze large amounts of student data. There are also questions about the role of human teachers in an AI-driven educational environment. Will teachers be replaced by machines? In fact, most experts agree that AI is not a substitute for human teachers but rather a tool to enhance the teaching-learning process.Despite these concerns, the future of AI in education looks promising. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see even more innovative applications that will transform education for the better.(1) (单选题) What is one of the main applications of AI in education?A. Creating a standardized curriculum for all students.B. Providing personalized learning experiences.C. Replacing human teachers with virtual tutors.D. Limiting students' access to learning materials.

单选题（共20题，20.0分）题型说明：Directions: There are four sentences. For each sentence there are marked A, B, C and D. You are required to choose the sentences by deciding on the most appropriate choice.1. (1.0分) We need a ____ of ten people to set up the team.A. lowestB. minimumC. levelD. extent

阅读理解Just 30 years ago, Berlin was a city divided into two by the Berlin Wall. How excited people were as the Berlin Wall came down. Since then, Berlin has become one of the coolest cities in Europe. Here are the main reasons why I think Berlin is cool.First, Berlin has cheap hotels and everyday objects(物品). You needn't worry about spending too much money when visiting Berlin.Second, Berlin knows how to give parties, and there is a festival here every month of the year. Perhaps the most famous is the Berlin International Film Festival (the BIFF).Third, Berlin has beautiful buildings of its own. The Brandenburg Gate is one of the city's most famous buildings. It's the symbol(象征)of more than 200 years of history. The TV Tower is as good as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the London Eye.Lastly, Berlin is a city of living art. Artists can create works of art on the sides of buildings.If you want to visit a European city with culture, cheap objects and lots of colours, Berlin is the place to be. What are you waiting for? Get to Europe's coolest city before anyone else discovers it.(1)The Berlin Wall came down in ______.A.1969 B.1979 C.1989 D.1999(2)The writer does NOT tell us that ______ in Berlin.A.everyday objects are cheapB.how often a festival is heldC.people know how to give partiesD.in which month the BIFF is held(3)According to the 4th paragraph(段落), ______ great buildings of Berlin are mentioned.A.two B.three C.four D.five(4)The writer suggests that we ______.A.create works of artB.choose Berlin as the city to visitC.build some towers like the Eiffel TowerD.discover a cooler city than Berlin to visit(5)Which is the best title(题目)for the passage?A.Berlin's festivalsB.erlin—a really cool cityC.Berlin's beautiful buildingsD.Berlin—a city of living artEvery year on my birthday since I was 11, a white gardenia(栀子花)was sent to my house. No card ever came with it. Calls to the flower shop were not helpful at all. After some time I stopped trying to find out the sender's name and was just pleased with the beautiful flower, in soft pink paper.I couldn't stop imagining who the giver might be. Some of my happiest moments were spent daydreaming(幻想)about the sender. My mother encouraged these daydreams. She'd ask me if I had been especially kind to someone. Perhaps it was one of my classmates. Perhaps it was the old man who I once helped. As a girl, I had more fun imagining that it might be a boy that I had met.A month before my high school graduation(毕业), my father died. I was so sad that I became completely uninterested in my coming graduation dance, and I didn't care whether I had a new dress or not. My mother, in her own sadness, would not let me miss(错过)any of those things. She wanted her children to feel loved. In fact, my mother wanted her children to see themselves much like the gardenia: lovely, strong and perfect.My mother died ten years after I was married. That was the year the gardenia stopped coming.(1)The writer received ______ on her birthday since she was 11.A.a white gardenia B.a card C.a card and soft pink paper D.a gardenia and a card(2)The writer was very ______ when she was imagining who sent the flower.A.happy B.sad C.worried D.nervous(3)It can be inferred(推断)from the passage that ______.A.the writer didn't get a new dress for the danceB.the writer probably joined in the graduation danceC.the writer's father died ten years earlier than her motherD.the writer's father received a gardenia on each of his birthdays(4)The writer got the gardenias from ______ on her birthdays.A.her classmate B.the old man C.the boy D.her mother(5)The passage mainly talks about ______.A.what a gardenia meantB.what a girl dreamed aboutC.how a mother loved her childrenD.how a daughter missed her fatherLots of students know what a marathon(马拉松赛跑)is, but perhaps they don't know what a triathlon is. The triathlon is a sport that has three parts—swimming, bicycling and running. It is not an easy sport, but a man named Joe Salter is very good at it. A few months ago, he finished a special triathlon—he juggled(抛起接住)three balls all the time during the triathlon. That is to say, he kept on throwing and catching three balls while he was swimming, riding a bicycle and running.31-year-old Joe is from Florida, the USA. He loves juggling and he started at the age of 8. Joe did well in juggling. Later, he got the idea to do a triathlon and juggle at the same time to make it more fun. Many juggling fans laughed at his idea and thought it was just a joke. But Joe didn't give up and he kept practising it. Because of his hard work, he made it at last.Talking about his triathlon, Joe said swimming was the hardest part. "It was difficult and complex(复杂的)," he said. "I basically only used my legs, so it took quite a lot of work. Also, swimming in open water made it a little harder. It was not like in a pool."(1)According to the writer, the common triathlon ______.A.is a difficult sportB.is more famous than the marathonC.includes the three parts and jugglingD.includes the marathon and swimming(2)Joe's triathlon was special because ______ during the triathlon.A.he picked up three ballsB.he played jugglingC.he carried his bicycle on his shoulderD.he threw away all his balls(3)Many juggling fans thought Joe's idea ______.A.could not be realizedB.should not be laughed atC.should be realized as soon as possibleD.could make triathlon more exciting(4)The underlined part "made it" in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.A.forgot B.failed C.succeeded D.left(5)Swimming was the hardest part for Joe mainly because ______.A.he swam in open waterB.his swimming skills were badC.he was very tired when swimmingD.he almost could only swim with his legs请仔细阅读下题中关于五个人旅游情况的描述,从A-G中选择出与之相对应的旅游建议,其中有两项为多余选项。A. In German-speaking countries, few stores or restaurants accept payment by credit card. It's wise to take more cash（现金）with you.B. It's famous for pyramids and clothing made of silk and leather. To find good things, you'd better go to Cairo. In February and August, they are often on sale.C. There are many things you can buy, such as handmade clothing, silk ties and silver jewelry（珠宝）. Why not buy a silk tie? Thai silk is quite famous.D. Florence is well-known for its handmade leather goods. You could take time to stop by the Florence Leather School where you can find lots of good leather goods.E. In Hong Kong, you should look at the same product in different shops. Then you will have a better idea of what is the right price for the product.F. You don't need to buy expensive presents. With 5-10 euros, you can buy a wonderful scarf. You could also buy Mini Eiffel Towers. Each of them only costs about 2 euros.G. When you're on vacation in America, do not miss Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the world. It's famous for the natural sights, especially the hot fountains.(1)Mary plans to spend her holiday in Egypt. She is interested in clothes made of silk.(2)Alice can't wait to fly to Italy. She wants to buy a leather(皮革)handbag there before she comes back home.(3)Susan's dream is to visit Vienna, the capital city of Austria. Her dream will come true soon because she won a tip to the City of Music just now.(4)Kate is looking forward to her vacation to Paris. She needs to buy some presents for her friends in Paris, but she doesn't have much money.(5)Frank has been in Thailand for two weeks. He will fly back home next week. He is shopping online for presents. But he has no idea what to buy..

With the American’s Midterm Elections over, and a new Commander-in-Chief about to step in, some Americans are a little nervous about the nation’s future. But others feel secure, knowing that the man they consider the most powerful person in the world isn’t going anywhere. Just who is this behind-the-scenes guy they think has more power than George W. Bush ever will He’s Alan Greenspan, a 74-year-old expert economist who heads the Federal Reserve, commonly known as the Fed. Unlike the president, who has to please the voters and compromise with Congress, Greenspan doesn’t have to answer to anyone. But that doesn’t mean his job is easy. Basically, Greenspan is in charge of keeping the nation’s economy stable. The economy is sort of like a balloon: blow in too much air, and it pops. But with too little air, it falls to the floor. Greenspan helps decide when to blow more air into the economy. In this case, the air in a balloon is. the amount of money in the economy. Greenspan can make the economy grow by increasing the money supply, or keep the economy from inflating too much by decreasing the money supply. His goal is for the economy to grow and contract gradually. Rapid changes can harm businesses and consumers. In a speech lately, Greenspan hinted the Fed was concerned the economy might be slowing down too fast. What Greenspan actually said was that the Fed should "remain alert to the possibility that greater caution and weakening asset values in financial markets could signal or precipitate(促成) an excessive softening in household and business spending. "But what investors heard was: "I may lower interest rates which will make it easier for the companies you are investing in to borrow money. That means they’ll expand and their stock will be worth more in the future." Within hours of Greenspan’s remarks, so many investors bought stocks that the Dow Jones and the NASDAQ rose by three percent and ten percent that day. The value of some companies went up by millions of dollars, just because investors had confidence in Greenspan’s words. But Greenspan doesn’t just work magic by talking. He was educated at New York University and Columbia and appointed to his job in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. And he’s credited with steering the country through some difficult times since then, including a serious stock market crash just after he took the job. Another reason Greenspan has become almost a celebrity in America, is that more people are paying attention to the stock market than ever before. It used to be that only rich people and powerful corporations had the extra money to invest in stocks. But the U.S. economy has done so well in recent years, that more and more ordinary people are investing in stocks. He’s a native New Yorker. His first focus was music: He attended New York’s Julliard School and toured the country for a year in the early 1940s, playing in the Henry Jerome swing band(摇摆乐队). If nothing else, friends believe, this experience of US travel gave him the ability to connect dispassionate(不带感情的) economic theories with the individuals they affect. "The most outstanding thing about his is he knows the American economy…," says friend Herbert Stein, an economist. A swing into economics carried him straight into moderate Republican politics. He advised Richard Nixon in his 1968 campaign, and served briefly in the Bureau of the Budget. Seven years later, he returned to government service, replacing Mr. Stein as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the final days of Nixon presidency. He agreed only after being assured that Vice President Ford would keep him. In that role, he helped formulate the inflation―fighting blueprint of the 1970s that reduced inflation from 11 to 6.5 percent. Greenspan is also known for taking hot morning baths that last as long as an hour, with his inbox within reach. The practice began years ago to counter a bad back. That has not kept him off Washington’s tennis courts, where he is renowned competitor. "I found his intensity remarkable and his approach shot serious," says one of Greenspan’s partners. Married to NBC newswoman Andrea Mitchell, Greenspan is also famous for his syntax(句法), or rather, the way it conceals virtually anything that could be said to be an opinion. This is partly the result of the natural silence of Fed officials, who understand that markets hang on their every word. But it is also part of Greenspan’s personality. One friend remembers encountering him in an airport, after violent storms had almost shut down air traffic on the East Coast. Asked about the weather, the Fed chairman said hesitantly that is was "OK." "He couldn’t even bring himself to be conclusive about the weather!" says’ the friend. After years of very high growth, the American economy is starting to slow down. Recently, corporations have been making less money and people are starting to have a harder time finding jobs. Greenspan is hoping to ease the economy into a soft landing―to make the car come to a gentle stop instead of hitting a brick wall. If he succeeds, the country will avoid two possible problems: rising prices and high unemployment. At the Fed’s meeting, Greenspan and the other members decided that the economy was growing at an OK rate, but that there is a possibility of a serious slowdown. If they are worried that the whole economy is starting to sink, they could lower interest rates at the next meeting in an attempt to encourage people to borrow and spend. While there’s no way to know what they will decide, one thing is certain: the decisions that Greenspan and the Federal Reserve Board make will affect everyone who earns, borrows or spends money.Why did Greenspan answer the question about weather hesitantly A．Because he needed to see clearly what the weather was like.B．Because he has a habit of being careful with his words.C．Because he was thinking about something important.D．Because he didn’t know the person who asked him the question.

Heroes of today lie in one's beliefs. The common recognition is that heroes in our day-to-day lives can be anyone starting from the firefighters, police, ambulance crews, teachers, doctors and more. A person cannot be considered a hero based on their profession.2/52. How does the passage define heroism?A. Heroism is based on a person's profession.B. Heroism lies within a person and rises to the occasion.C. Heroism is about benefiting somebody else with no cost to oneselfD. Heroism requires sacrifice and certain qualities.