1、六级选词填空练习一 The Fair Tax (交易税 ) is a proposal to abolish the Internal Revenue Service (国税局 ). It throws out all existing federal taxes and replace them with a 30% nationwide retail sales tax, which would 1 about as much as income taxes, payroll taxes, excise taxes and the lot do now. The Fair Tax got
2、2 like this, Linbeck said: Three old rich men in Houston talked over lunch in 1995 about what they could do to leave the country better off before they died. They hit on reforming the tax system, and in 3 simplifying it, as a worthy goal. “Ive been a 4 of the complexity of the tax code,“ is how Linb
3、eck puts it. The main idea behind shifting taxation in this direction is to remove the burden on investment and production and place it all on consumption, 5 probably stimulating long-run growth and exports. Lindbeck also argues that with the payroll tax gone; low-income workers will stand a much be
4、tter chance of saving up money and rising out of 6 . This was a reference to the work of W. Michael Cox, chief economist of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Consumption is wealth, the argument goes, which makes a consumption tax the fairest kind of tax. One big catch is that the Fair Tax would 7
5、lower tax rates on those with the highest incomes. Linbeck had an interesting if not entirely convincing to me, at least response when I brought that up. “I dont know many poor people that buy a G5. The best indicator of peoples well-being is what they 8 and how they spend it.“ All in all, its an ex
6、tremely 9 plan Steve Forbes flat tax was a similar attempt to shift taxes onto consumption, but would have left most of the 10 tax structure intact. Its fair to object to it as simply too important for our politica l system to handle. 练习二 World leaders need to take action on the energy crisis that i
7、s taking shape before our eyes. Oil prices are 1 and it looks less and less likely that this is a bubble. The price of coal has doubled. Countries as far apart as South Africa and Tajikistan are plagued by power cuts. Rich states, no longer strangers to periodic blackouts (断电 ), are worried about 2
8、of energy supply. In the developing world, 1.6 billion peoplearound a quarter of the human racehave no access to electricity. I believe that fundamental changes are underway in the energy field whose significance we have not yet fully grasped. Global 3 for energy is rising fast as the population inc
9、reases and developing countries such as China and India 4 dramatic economic growth. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says the worlds energy needs could be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today. Yet the fossil fuels on which the world still depends are finite and far from environmentally friend
10、ly. Serious thought needs to be given now to creating feasible 5 . The need for coordinated political action on energy and related issuesclimate change and alleviating poverty, to name but twohas never been more 6 . Yet there is no global energy 7 in which the countries of the world can agree on joi
11、nt solutions to the potentially enormous problems we see emerging. So does the world really need yet another international organization? 8 , yes. A global energy organization would complement, not replace, bodies already active in the energy field. It would bring a vital inter-governmental 9 to bear
12、 on issues that cannot be left to market forces alone, such as the development of new energy technology, the role of nuclear power, and innovative solutions for reducing pollution and greenhouse gas 10 . 练习三 One of the problems in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time
13、 for anything - and when we have time to get a bite to eat, we gobble（狼吞虎咽） it down. That leads to 1 , unhealthy living. And with the simple but powerful act of eating slower, we can 2 reverse that lifestyle. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, you c hew each bite slower, and you enjoy your meal
14、 3 . It takes a few minutes 4 each meal, and yet it can have profound 5 . You may have already heard of the Slow Food Movement, started in Italy and almost two decades ago to 6 the fast food movement. Everything that fast food is, Slow Food isnt. If you read the Slow Food Manifesto（宣言） , youll see t
15、hat its not just about health its about a lifestyle. And whether you want to 7 that lifestyle or not, there are some reasons you should 8 the simple act of eating slower. Firstly, it helps you to lose weight. A growing number of studies 9 that just by eating slower, youll 10 fewer calories - in fact
16、, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eat anything different. The reason is that it takes about 20 minutes for our brains to recognize that were full. Secondly, if you eat slower, youll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. 练习四 The difference between
17、 a liquid and a gas is obvious on the condition of temperature and pressure commonly found at the surface of the Earth. A liquid can be kept in an open container and 1 it to the level of a free surface. A gas forms no free surface but 2 to diffuse throughout the space available; it must 3 be kept in
18、 a closed container, as in the case of a planets atmosphere. The distinction was a prominent feature of early theories 4 the phases of matter. In the nineteenth century, for example, one theory maintained that a liquid could be dissolved in a vapor without losing its identity, and another theory hel
19、d that the two phases are 5 different kinds of molecules. The theories now prevailing 6 a quite different approach by emphasizing what liquids and gases have in common. They are both forms of matter that have no permanent structure, and they both flow easily. They are fluids. The 7 similarity of liq
20、uids and gases becomes clearly apparent when the temperature and pressure are raised somewhat. Suppose a closed container partially filled with a liquid is heated. The liquid expands or 8 , becomes less dense; some of it evaporates. In contrast, the vapor above the liquid surface becomes denser as t
21、he evaporated molecules are added to it. The combination of temperature and pressure at which the densities become equal is 9 the critical point. Above the critical point the liquid and the gas can no longer be distinguished; there is a single, 10 fluid phase of uniform density. 练习五 Its clear that s
22、ocial media like Twitter and Facebook are changing the way we live. Indeed, we might feel as if we are suddenly awash in friends. Yet right before our eyes, were also 1 the way we conduct relationships. Face-to-face chatting is giving 2 to texting and messaging; people even prefer these electronic 3
23、 to, for instance, simply talking on a phone. Smaller circles of friends are being partially eclipsed by Facebook acquaintances routinely numbered in the hundreds. Growing research suggests we could be entering a period of crisis for the entire concept of friendship. Awareness of a possible problem
24、4 off just as the online world was emerging. In the United Kingdom, the Mental Health Foundation just published The Lonely Society, which 5 that about half of Brits believe theyre living in, well, a lonelier society. One 6 three would like to live closer to their families, though social trends are f
25、orcing them to live farther apart. Two-fifths of respondents report that they face a prevailing 7 away from their closest friends. We have plenty of acquaintances, though perhaps few individuals we can turn to and share deep intimacies. American sociologists have tracked related trends on a broader
26、8 . According to work published in the American Sociological Review, the average American has only two close friends and a quarter dont have any. Social scientists of the universities of Southern California and Toronto refer to “some panic in the United States about a possible 9 in social connectivi
27、ty.“ But notice their language: “social connectivity.“ That is not the same as intimate friendship. While social networking sites and the like have grown exponentially, the element that is crucial, and harder to investigate, is the quality of the connections they nurture. Yet we know that less is mo
28、re when it comes to deeper relationships. A connection may only be a click away, but 10 a good friendship takes more. It seems common sense to conclude that “friending“ online nurtures shallow relationships as the neologism “friending“ itself implies. 练习六 One of the greatest concerns parents have wh
29、en facing an international move is “What school will be available to my child? Will my child be disadvantaged academically as a result of this move?“ Although this fear is 1 strongest in families moving overseas for the first time, even those who may be more experienced often have concerns about the
30、ir childrens education. Dr. Ernest Mannino spoke frankly about some of the common 2 parents have regarding the education of their children. Dr. Mannino cautions parents against making assumptions about their childrens education. To make an educated 3 , parents need to think through schooling issues
31、and to research post schools in advance of a move. Children who are internationally mobile have many choices of schools to attend. In most major cities, there are schools 4 on the US, French, German, and British systems. Some parents also choose to become their childrens teachers through 5 education
32、. Which school is appropriate for your child is an individual decision based on many factors. One of the primary factors that should be considered is what type of college or university your child will attend 6 high school. Some parents want an 7 education instead of just an education within an Ameri
33、can system school and 8 , they have the opportunity to go to these types of schools. But what parents must keep in mind is whether this school will best prepare your child for education beyond high school. Parents may be tempted to alternate their childrens school system in order to 9 cross-cultural
34、 understanding, but many experts suggest just the opposite. Mannino warns that differences in the order of curriculum exist in the high school grades. Moving your child from one academic system to another during this time can 10 a child academically. At the very least, the parent should learn what t
35、he differences in curriculum are and try to keep the child in one system for all of the high school years. 练习七 For those anxious about committing to a masters degree, there is the post-baccalaureate (学士后 ) certificate. Usually a four- to seven-course, self-contained certificate provides 1 academic s
36、tudy, or job-specific skills training, with a minimum 2 of time and money, and potentially significant payback. Nearly 51 000 people earned the certificate in 2010a 46 percent increase in five years. For men, having the certificate adds an average 25 percent in earnings; for women, who tend toward l
37、ess 3 fields such as teaching and health care, the 4 is an average 13 percent, according to research from Georgetown Universitys Center on Education and the Workforce. About 3 percent of the workforceor 4 million workershave certificates. Certificates are market-driven. Colleges and universities, al
38、ert to evolving workplace requirements (and business opportunities in higher ed.), 5 gaps in education and training that appeal to adult students looking for a way to stand out or retool their careers. In some fields, especially health care, education, counseling, engineering and technology, certifi
39、cates provide compulsory training for certain jobs or promotions, or make one 6 for higher pay scales. In other fields (arts management, interior design, public relations), the certificate shows interest and acquired know ledge in an area that is likely helpful in performing a job. Other certificate
40、s reflect 7 in areas so new, or quickly changing, that a demonstrated specialty can put a job applicant in front of the pack: homeland security, sports industry management. Some are purely 8 (African American studies), and some are training-specific (clinical research administration). If you can thi
41、nk of a specialty or job skill you want, there is probably a certificate, and a school-on-ground or onlinethat will qualify you in the subject. But it is a buyer-beware marketplace, education experts say. A certificate can run into the thousands of dollars (American Universitys 15-credit online digi
42、tal media skills certificate costs 12 000), so job 9 and schools should be researched before 10 on. 练习八 The translator must have an excellent, up-to-date knowledge of his source languages, full facility in the handling of his target language, which will be his mother tongue or language of habitual 1
43、. This is, as it were, his professional equipment. In addition to this, it is desirable that he should have an inquiring mind and a good memory. He should be able to type fairly quickly and accurately and, if he is working mainly for publication, should have more than a nodding 2 with printing techn
44、iques and proof-reading. If he is working basically as an information translator, let us say, for an industrial firm, he should have the flexibility of mind to enable him to 3 rapidly from one source language to another, since this ability is frequently 4 of him in such work. Bearing in mind the nat
45、ure of the translators work, i.e. the processing of the written word, it is 5 that he should be able to speak the language he is dealing with. If he does speak them, it is an advantage 6 a hindrance, but this skill is in many ways a luxury that he can 7. It is, 8, desirable that he should have an ap
46、proximate idea about the pronunciation of his source languages even if this is restricted to knowing how proper names and place names are pronounced. The same 9 to an ability to write his source languages. If he can, well and good; if he cannot, it does not 10 . There are many other skills and quali
47、ties that are desirable in a translator. 练习九 India is to frugality (节俭 ) as Bethlehem is to Jesus. As rich countries enter a new era of 1, the best practices of the gurus (导师 ) of frugality can serve as a textbook for frugalitys new pupils. The first tip is to wear your money. One rarely 2 funds whe
48、n they are kept in gold and hooked through your nose or strung around your neck. Some Indian women wear saris woven with gold thread. Your upholstery (室内装潢品 ) is not for everyone. Sofas wear away and stain. So cover your sofa with bed sheets and 3 them for only the best friends. So, too, with crocke
49、ry (陶器 ): Buy a set of expensive plates and keep it in a case where your friends can see them while they eat from the cheap plates you actually set before them. When eating out, order soups fractionally: a certain number of soups 4 by a certain number of people. Start with one into two, the realm of Indian beginners, then graduate in time to three into five and six into seven. Of course, if you can,
