Reading Comprehension

从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。 

     Before long, advertisements will be popping up（涌现）on all kinds of wireless devices, including hand-held computers, cell phones and pagers. This technological breakthrough is of great interest to advertisers, because it allows them access to consumers any time and any place.
     Advertisers are interested in wireless advertising for several reasons. First, cell phone owners are typically young and rich; they are just the kind of consumers with whom advertisers want to communicate. Second, the market for wireless devices is growing rapidly. In 2000, there were nearly 100 million cell phones in U.S. and Canada. Third, advertisers can target their sales advertisements to the consumers who are most likely to buy their products or services because they can obtain data about the age, gender（性别） and buying preferences of people who own wireless devices. Companies will even be able to deliver advertisements based on the cell phone user’s location. For example, a clothing store could advertise a big sale to cell phone users who live or work near the store.
     The technology is still in its early stages, and advertisements will initially consist mostly of a simple text message on the cell phone or the pager screen. Some advertisements will have an audio component as well. Eventually, commercials will be received on cell phones.
     It is quite possible that cell phone owners will not want to receive advertisements because they may view them as the wireless equivalent to “junkmail”（垃圾邮件）. Advertisers are therefore planning to deliver wireless advertisements only to those cell phone users who want them. In return for providing information on their carrier, type of phone, age, gender, and cell phone number, cell phone users will be offered free information such as sports scores and weather reports delivered to their cell phones. Some advertisers are actually paying cell phone owners for agreeing to receive advertisements. 

Reading Comprehension 
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     Since the beginning of the Internet era, it has been widely accepted that when you join an online company, whatever data you put into it belongs to you. 
     That means you can sign up for one kind of email, import your contacts into that system, and if you later decide to switch to some other email service, you can export all your contacts from the first service into the new one. You can use Microsoft’s Hotmail, then move to Yahoo Mail, then to Google’s Gmail. Or you can have accounts on three services and keep all your contacts in each one. 
     That’ the way things were — until Facebook appeared. Facebook took a different approach until recently, everything you put into Facebook could not be exported anywhere. In effect, you didn’t own your data. Facebook did.
     Of course this is rubbish. The reality is that Facebook wants to make it difficult, if not impossible, for you to leave. 
     Now that policy has sparked a fight between Google and Facebook. Google is angry because its users can, and often do, export their Gmail contact information into Facebook. But those people can’t bring Facebook information back into Gmail.
     Earlier this month Google declared it would block exports of its data to Facebook. In a shameless move, Facebook broke through Google’s roadblock so its users could keep pulling data from Google.
     Google said it was “disappointed’’ with Facebook’s behavior. It also created a warning screen to tell Gmail users that if they export their information to Facebook they won’t get it back. 
     Basically, Facebook’s position with major IT companies is this: if you want access to all the information we’ve collected, strike a deal with us. Microsoft and Yahoo have done that, and now, like magic, they can export Facebook contact information into their systems, while Google still can’t.

     Remember the early days of the Net, when everything was going to be open and flee? That was great until people realized that their user data could be turned into gold. Now there are billions involved, and nobody is playing nice anymore.

Reading Comprehension
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     Contrary to what many people believe, highly intelligent children are not necessarily bound to have an academic success. In fact, so-called gifted students may fail to do well because they are unusually smart. Ensuring that a gifted child reaches his or her potential requires an understanding of what can go wrong and how to satisfy the unusual learning requirements of extremely bright young people.
     One common problem gifted kids face is that they, and those around them, place too much importance on being smart. Such an emphasis can breed a belief that bright people do not have to work hard to do well. Although smart kids may not need to work hard in the lower grades when the work is easy, they may struggle and perform poorly when the work gets harder because they do not make the effort to learn. In some cases, they may not know how to study, having never done it before. In others, they simply cannot accept the fact that some tasks require effort.
     If the scholastic achievement of highly intelligent children remains below average for an extended period, many teachers will fail to recognize their potential. As a result, such students may not get the encouragement they need, and may further be depressed to learn. They may fall far behind in their schoolwork and even develop behavior problems. Boys may turn aggressive or become class clowns (小丑). Girls often develop performance anxiety and other symptoms such as stomachaches.
     One way to avoid such difficulties is to recognize that IQ is just one of the elements for success. Children do well or struggle in school for a host of reasons apart from IQ, according to psychologist Franz Monks of the University of Nijmegen in the Netherlands. These include motivation and persistence, social competence, and the support of family, educators and friends. Emphasizing the importance of persistence and hard work, for example, will help a child avoid the laziness trap. Gifted children also need intellectual challenges-to teach them how to work hard.

​​Reading Comprehension 

从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     America's ​election day is 7 November. On that day citizens who wish to will cast their ballots for the presidential candidate they prefer. The result of this process is called the popular vote. However, not one of the votes cast on election day actually goes directly to a particular candidate. Why? It has to do with the electoral college. 

     The electoral college was created in response to a problem encountered during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where delegates were trying to determine the best way to choose the president. If Congress were to elect the president, he would be too easily controlled by the legislature. If all the citizens were to vote directly for the president, there might be too many local candidates and none representing a wide body of opinion; or it might be difficult to count the votes cast over a vast country.
     The framers of the Constitution intended that the electors, chosen for their wisdom, should come together and choose on behalf of the people. In fact,the swift rise of political parties guaranteed that the electoral system never worked as the framers had intended; instead, national parties quickly came to dominate the election campaigns. The electors became mere figureheads representing the state branches of the parties who got them chosen, and their votes were predetermined and predictable. But anyhow, America has retained the electoral college to choose its president and vice-president.
     There is some variation among states in how electors are appointed, yet generally they are chosen by the popular vote. Each political party in a state chooses a list of local worthies to be members of the electoral college if the party’s presidential candidate wins in the popular vote in the state. Members of the electoral college have the obligation to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in their state. This duty, plus the fact that electors are members of the same political party as presidential candidate, ensures that the outcome in the electoral college is a reflection of the popular vote in 7 November.

阅读选择
阅读下面短文,请从短文后所给各题的4个选项( A、B、C、D)中选出1个最佳选项。

阅读选择

阅读下面短文，请从短文后所给各题的个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出1个最佳选项。

     Mary didn't know what to send to her grandparents for Christmas. It was always hard to choose a good Christmas present for them. They didn't need much, and it was hard for her to be creative every year.
     One year, she sent them a big wooden elephant. It sat on the counter for a year, but then it disappeared, probably into a closet somewhere. Another year, she made handmade soaps with nice smells, but they probably weren’t any better than store-bought soaps. Last year, she sent lots of nice pictures of herself in frames, but grandparents' house was small, and they couldn't hang up very many.
     This year, she decided on fruit. She lived where it was warm and there was lots of nice fruit. Her grandparents lived up north, where it was colder and they couldn't get fresh fruit all year, or at least not oranges and grapefruit. Fresh fruit was healthy for her grandparents, too.
     Mary went to a fruit store and sampled the red oranges. She really liked them and bought a kilogram. Then she tried three kinds of grapefruit. The white ones were sour. The star grapefruit were interesting, but the dark red grapefruit were great. So she got a kilogram. Mary carefully packed the fruit in a box to keep them safe and dry in case one got smashed and its juice got everywhere. Then she wrote the address on the box and mailed it from the store. She felt happy with what she bought.
     A few days later, Mary got a phone call from her grandparents, thanking her for the lovely fruit. They said it was a healthy, tasty, and very thoughtful gift. Mary had never felt so good before.

Reading Comprehension 
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。
I hear many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling(反叛).I wish it were so. At this age they ought to be growing away from their parents. They should be learning to stand on their own feet. In fact, the teenagers are all taking the same way, they disagree with their parents. Instead of speaking out their own ideas loudly, most of them are finding support from one another for reassurance.
     They claim they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But they all end up listening to the same record. Their reason for thinking or acting in such a way is that the crowd are doing it. They have come out of their cocoon(庇护物), and then got into a larger one.
     It has become more and more difficult for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave to go his or her own way. Today every teenager can learn from the ever-present advertisements what a teenager should have and be. And many of today's parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to a great barrier for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
     But the barrier is worth climbing over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you do not care to share with their classmates at once. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come--with the people who respect you for who you are. That is the only kind of popularity that really counts.

阅读选择。阅读下面短文，请从短文后所给各题的4个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出 1个最佳选项。

Talk to Your Kids about Their Eating Habits Carefully 

     Weight is never an easy subject. It can be risky for parents to raise the issue of eating habits and weight with their kids.
     “No kid ever lost weight because his mother told him he was fat,” a friend told me when I was worried about my son's weight.
     It turns out she was right, according to a new study. The study was directed by Dr. Berge at University of Minnesota. She found that kids whose parents discussed eating in a healthy way were less likely to have eating problems. But 64% of the kids whose parents focused on their weight turned to unhealthy eating behaviors. Some kids went on extreme diets, and others even ate no food. So eating disorders were caused. Things were worse when fathers joined in the discussions with their daughters and focused on weight. “Fathers should never comment on their daughters' weight,” says Berge. Instead, she suggests, fathers should focus on their daughters’ interests. That can help them feel loved and confident enough to work on their weight issues.
     How should parents talk to kids about eating behaviors? According to Berge, they should avoid focusing on how much their kids weigh. They should talk to them about being healthy. Don’t compare them with others. Ideally, both parents should share the responsibility. If that's not possible, choose the parent whose words cause the least amount of stress and who demonstrates healthy eating.

Reading Comprehension
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

Dear Sir,
     I am writing to make a strong complaint about the impolite treatment my guests and I received when we had a dinner party in your restaurant-Greenwich Restaurant last Saturday, December 18.
     I booked a table for dinner by telephone last Thursday and we were assured that there would be room for us. We know that there must be great demand for restaurant meals at this time of the year in such a popular and historic area, but we were not expecting such an ill-mannered reception on the part of your head waiter. My colleagues and I all felt rather hurt and angry.
     The unpleasant experience goes like this our Russian friends were currently touring the 'Shakespeare's Country' and were looking forward to a traditional English dinner in such a charming setting. But our hope for an enjoyable evening out was instantly spoilt when your head waiter informed us that he had received no booking in our name and, so, no table was reserved for our party. My colleagues and I protested at this and asked to speak to the Manager, who, we were told, was unavailable.
     Your staff then offered us a table which we had to share with a couple and no effort was made to smooth over the unpleasantness we had experienced. We also had to wait some considerable time before the menu was brought to us.
     I trust you will give this complaint your prompt attention as the whole embarrassing incident was a great disappointment to our guests and set a bad example of our English hospitality(好客).

     Why does the Foundation concentrate its support on basic rather than applied research? Basic research is the very heart of science, and its cumulative product is the capital of scientific progress, a capital that must be constantly increased as the demands upon it rise. The goal of basic research is understanding, for its own sake. Understanding of the structure of the atom or the nerve cell, the explosion of a spiral nebula(星云)or the distribution of cosmic dust, the causes of earthquakes and droughts, or of man as a behaving creature and of the social forces that are created whenever two or more human beings come into contact with one another-the scope is shocking, but the commitment to truth is the same. If the commitment were to a particular result, conflicting evidence might be overlooked or with the best will in the world, simply not appreciated. Moreover, the practical applications of basic research frequently cannot be anticipated. When Roentgen, the physicist, discovered X-rays, he had no idea of their usefulness to medicine.
     Applied research, undertaken to solve specific practical problems, has an immediate attractiveness because the results can be seen and enjoyed. For practical reasons, the sums spent on applied research in any country always far exceed those for basic research, and the proportions are more unequal in the less developed countries. Leaving aside the funds devoted to research by industry-which is naturally far more concerned with applied aspects because these increase profits quickly--the funds the U.S. Government allots to basic research currently amount to about 7 percent of its overall research and development funds. Unless adequate safeguards are provided, applied research invariably tends to drive out basic. Then as Dr. Waterman has pointed out, "Developments will inevitably be undertaken prematurely career incentives will gravitate strongly toward applied science, and the opportunities for making major scientific emphasis upon pure science tend to degrade the quality of the nation’s technology in the long run, rather than to improve it.”

概括段落大意和补全句子：阅读下面短文，请完成短文后的二项测试任务：(1)从第1~5题后所给的六个选项中为第①~⑤段每段选择一个正确的小标题；(2)从第6~10题后所给的六个选项中选择五个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。 

     ① Most musicians agree that the best violins (小提琴) were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments (乐器) like the Italian violins, however, they are not the same. Why are these old Italian violins so special? No one really knows. But many people think they have an answer.  

    ② Some people think it is the age of the violins. But there is a problem here. Not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old violins from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.  

    ③ Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. It must be from certain kinds of trees. It must not be too young or too old. Perhaps the violin makers of Cremona knew something special about wood for violins.  

    ④ But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut into the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this is the secret of the Italians.  

    ⑤ Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists make new violins that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new ones still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish (清漆). It makes the wood look shiny, but it also helps the sound of the instrument. Since no one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish, no one can make the same varnish today. There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona. And there are not many of the old violins left. So these old violins from Cremona become more and more precious.

阅渎下面短文，请从短文后所给各题的4个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出1个最佳选项，并在答题卡相应位置上将该项涂黑。

     I have a friend named Monty Roberts who let me use his horse ranch in San Ysidro to put on fund-raising events for youth at risk programs.
     The last time I was there he introduced me by saying, "I want to tell you why I let Jack use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man, the son of an itinerant horse trainer who went from ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write paper about, what he wanted to do when he grew up.
     “That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning: a horse ranch some day. He wrote about his dream in great detail and drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on the ranch. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, 'See me after class”.
     “The boy went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive an F?' The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a boy like you, having no money and from an itinerant family. If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’"
     "The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. Finally, after sitting with it for a week, he turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, ‘You can keep the F and I'll keep my dream.’”
     Monty then turned to the assembled group and said, ”I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, "Two summers ago, that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, when I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. I stole a lot of kids' dreams. Fortunately you were bold and ambitious, enough not to give up on yours.’" 

Reading Comprehension 
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     My top priorities are school, sports and my family. Track and tennis are the sports I enjoy most. During the track season, I have practice Monday through Friday, mostly at 7: 30 a. m. Tennis is a yearlong sport for me, and I never get a break. I don't mind this, and look forward to practices, which are three hours, three times a week. The only thing I dislike about running and tennis is when they conflict. It pains me whenever I have to choose between them.
     I also take school extremely seriously. I am a straight-A student and am looking to keep this up. Unlike many parents, mine do not get angry if I get a grade lower than an A. They simply advise me to go talk to my teachers to find out if there is any work I could do to bring the grade up. I appreciate this because it seems as though I get enough criticism from myself.
     One of my greatest struggles is trying to find time to spend with my family and friends. I hate that something has to be sacrificed. For me, that thing is my friends. At times my friends get angry with me, which annoys me because I really want to hang out with them but can't because of my time constraints. I wish they knew that I miss them. I also long for the nights when I used to relax with my family. Now I come home from meets and practices to eat and finish homework. Many times I am exhausted.
     It may sound as though there must be someone making me live in this manner. Well, there is: me. I choose to spend my time this way, even though it may mean less time for friends, family and relaxing. Call me crazy, but the reason for my overscheduled lifestyle is the love I have for all my chosen activities. Just like with my schooling, I have long-term goals for the sports with which I am involved. Those goals drive me to keep up the hard work. I enjoy what I do, not planning to stop anytime soon.

​​Reading Comprehension 

从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     America's ​election day is 7 November. On that day citizens who wish to will cast their ballots for the presidential candidate they prefer. The result of this process is called the popular vote. However, not one of the votes cast on election day actually goes directly to a particular candidate. Why? It has to do with the electoral college. 

     The electoral college was created in response to a problem encountered during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where delegates were trying to determine the best way to choose the president. If Congress were to elect the president, he would be too easily controlled by the legislature. If all the citizens were to vote directly for the president, there might be too many local candidates and none representing a wide body of opinion; or it might be difficult to count the votes cast over a vast country.
     The framers of the Constitution intended that the electors, chosen for their wisdom, should come together and choose on behalf of the people. In fact,the swift rise of political parties guaranteed that the electoral system never worked as the framers had intended; instead, national parties quickly came to dominate the election campaigns. The electors became mere figureheads representing the state branches of the parties who got them chosen, and their votes were predetermined and predictable. But anyhow, America has retained the electoral college to choose its president and vice-president.
     There is some variation among states in how electors are appointed, yet generally they are chosen by the popular vote. Each political party in a state chooses a list of local worthies to be members of the electoral college if the party’s presidential candidate wins in the popular vote in the state. Members of the electoral college have the obligation to vote for the candidate who won the popular vote in their state. This duty, plus the fact that electors are members of the same political party as presidential candidate, ensures that the outcome in the electoral college is a reflection of the popular vote in 7 November.

Reading Comprehension

从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。 

     Before long, advertisements will be popping up（涌现）on all kinds of wireless devices, including hand-held computers, cell phones and pagers. This technological breakthrough is of great interest to advertisers, because it allows them access to consumers any time and any place.
     Advertisers are interested in wireless advertising for several reasons. First, cell phone owners are typically young and rich; they are just the kind of consumers with whom advertisers want to communicate. Second, the market for wireless devices is growing rapidly. In 2000, there were nearly 100 million cell phones in U.S. and Canada. Third, advertisers can target their sales advertisements to the consumers who are most likely to buy their products or services because they can obtain data about the age, gender（性别） and buying preferences of people who own wireless devices. Companies will even be able to deliver advertisements based on the cell phone user’s location. For example, a clothing store could advertise a big sale to cell phone users who live or work near the store.
     The technology is still in its early stages, and advertisements will initially consist mostly of a simple text message on the cell phone or the pager screen. Some advertisements will have an audio component as well. Eventually, commercials will be received on cell phones.
     It is quite possible that cell phone owners will not want to receive advertisements because they may view them as the wireless equivalent to “junkmail”（垃圾邮件）. Advertisers are therefore planning to deliver wireless advertisements only to those cell phone users who want them. In return for providing information on their carrier, type of phone, age, gender, and cell phone number, cell phone users will be offered free information such as sports scores and weather reports delivered to their cell phones. Some advertisers are actually paying cell phone owners for agreeing to receive advertisements. 

阅读选择：阅读下面短文，请从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出一个最佳选项。

     For Americans, time is a "resource" that, like water or coal, can be used well or poorly. "Time is money," they say. "You only get so much time in this life; you’d better use it wisely." The future will not be better than the past or the present unless people use their time for constructive, future-oriented activities. Thus, Americans admire a "well-organized" person, one who has a written list of things to do and a schedule for doing them. The ideal person is punctual and treasures other people’s time.
     The American attitude towards time is not necessarily shared by others, especially non-Europeans. They are more likely to consider time as something that is simply there around them, not something they can "use". One of the more difficult things many foreign businessmen and students must adjust to in the States is the notion that time must be saved whenever possible and used wisely every day.
     In their efforts to use their time wisely, Americans are sometimes seen by foreign visitors as automatons, unhuman creatures who are so tied to their clocks and their schedules that they cannot participate in or enjoy the human interactions that are the truly important things in life. "They are like little machines running around," one foreign visitor said.
     The emphasis Americans place on efficiency is closely related to their concepts of the future, change and time. To do something efficiently is to do it in the way that is quickest and requires the smallest investment of resources. American businesses sometimes hire "efficiency experts" to review their operations and suggest ways in which they could accomplish more than they are currently accomplishing with the resources they are investing. Popular periodicals carry suggestions for more efficient ways to clean house, raise children, tend the yard, and so on.
     In this context the "fast-food industry" can be seen as a clear example of an American cultural product. McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut, and other fast-food establishments prosper in a country where many people want to minimize the amount of time they spend preparing and eating meals. The millions of Americans who take their meals at fast-food restaurants cannot have much interest in lingering over their food while conversing with friends, as millions of Europeans do. As McDonald’s restaurants have spread around the world, they have been viewed as symbols of American society and culture, bringing not just hamburgers but an emphasis on speed, efficiency, and shiny cleanliness. The typical American food, some observers argue, is fast food.

概括段落大意和补全句子：阅读下面短文，请完成短文后的二项测试任务：(1)从第1~5题后所给的六个选项中为第①~⑤段每段选择一个正确的小标题；(2)从第6~10题后所给的六个选项中选择五个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。 

       The sea is very big. Look at a map of the world. There is less land than sea. The sea covers three quarters of the world. 
     ①The sea is very deep in some places. There is one spot, near Japan, where the sea is nearly 11 kilometers deep. The highest mountain in the world is about 9 kilometers high. If that mountain were put into the sea at that place, there would be 2 kilometers of water above it.  

     ② If you have swum in the sea, you know that it is salty. You can taste the salt. Rivers, which flow into the sea, carry salt from the land into the sea. Some parts of the sea are less salty than other parts. There is one sea, called the Dead Sea, which is very salty. Because it is very salty, swimmers cannot sink! Fish cannot live in the Dead Sea.  

     ③ In most parts of the sea, there are plenty of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. There are also millions of tiny living things that float in the sea. These floating things are very small. It is hard to see them. Many fish live by eating these.  

     ④ The sea can be very cold. Divers, who dive deep down in the sea, know this. On the top the water may be warm. When the diver goes downwards, the sea becomes colder and colder.  

     ⑤ Another thing happens. When the diver goes deeper, the water above presses down on him. It squeezes him. Then the diver has to wear clothes made of metal. 

Reading Comprehension
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     As a communications specialist, I teach my students to become more aware of interpersonal communication such as symbolic behavior, use of words, and nonverbal mannerisms. My goal is to place symbols in their minds so we can come to a point of agreement on language.
     I immensely enjoy the work because life is becoming more this way—persuade people to accept your point of view. We are both communicating and persuadable animals. It's not unethical and I train my students in an ethical manner.
     Many of my peers（同行）have left the academic world and taken up positions in business. They tend to become human resources officers. Happiness in job behavior is directly related to profits. If you get your employees to trust you, then you will increase your profits. This is why professionals in my field are so highly valued.
     Many famous psychologists reach over into communications and many study my field so they can learn more about interpersonal relationships. Whether it's John Miller at the office or Bill Clinton attending a political fundraiser, communications is important in everything we do.
     The majority of research is centered around conflict communication. There is definitely a strong desire to learn the proper steps to be taken to maintain a cool, rational process. I believe the increase in interest in communications can be traced to the Cuban missile crisis.
     Our research has made great strides in a relatively short period of time. We now know that it is sometimes truly more effective to have a spokesperson with a robotic, or monotonous tone. This type of spokespersons is often most effective in crisis situations because their relative lack of emotion can signal that heads are remaining cool and problems are being dealt with effectively. This was illustrated wonderfully by the U.S. military spokespeople during the first Persian Gulf War.
     While we have studied military communication, we have most of our work in the area of business communications. We now regularly consult companies on how to conduct job interviews. We have learned that most interviewers make up their minds about a job candidate within the first five minutes of the interview. We have also discovered why this is so and we will tell companies what is productive and counterproductive about these interviews, and hiring managers. We also conduct work on how to handle other business issues such as earnings releases and product recalls.

Reading Comprehension
从下列每篇短文的问题后所给的四个选择项中选出一个最佳答案。

     Danger is waiting for you every time you step out of your front door. The hidden danger, however, is not a robber, but merely the sidewalk beneath your feet. Although a short walk down the road may not normally be considered a dangerous activity, a recent government study suggests otherwise.
     Pedestrian's danger tripping up on uneven or damaged sidewalks occurs twice every 100 meters, causing injuries which can match those suffered in a car crash. At least 600,000 trips on sidewalks require medical treatment across the country every year, according to the Pedestrians Association; the government says the figure for serious injuries is a small part of that, though.
     Although the elderly and disabled are the most likely victims of uneven sidewalks, it has caused injuries among thousands of pedestrians of all ages, according to one analyst of the Pedestrians Association's London Office. " Such a fall can sometimes mean a life-changing injury for older people, which leaves them wheelchair-bound or having to walk with a stick, " he said. "A fall can also make people lose confidence, forcing them to stay indoors.”
     According to Pedestrians Association director Ben Mark, the hidden dangers of walking along a sidewalk are not clear by a lack of comprehensive data, concerning the true extent of the problem. He said, “Victims of sidewalk falls are invisible casualties(受伤人员)as far as the National Road Casualty Statistics are concerned—— it only counts if you've been hit by a car or a lorry on the road. It's really bad that we don't know how many people are injured by sidewalks. Nobody keeps track of the data. ”