2021年四川省遂宁市公共英语五级(笔试)重点汇总（含答案）

2021年四川省遂宁市公共英语五级(笔试)重点汇总（含答案）学校:________班级:________姓名:________考号:________

一、1.ListeningComprehension(15题)1.WhereisLowTillFarmingbecomingpopular?

A.Inareaswithfewweedsandunwantedplants.

B.Inareaswithasevereshortageofwater.

C.Inareaslackinginchemicalfertilizer.

D.Inareasdependentonimportedfood.

2.Whatdoesrepetitionofideasmean?

3.Whatsuggestiondoesthemanthinkitisgood?

A.Trytogiveupsmoking.

B.Eatsweetseverydayinsteadofsmoking.

C.Trytogiveuponecigaretteeveryday.

D.Gotoahypnotist.

4.Whydoesthewomanrefertofootball?

A.Toillustratemen'sinterest.

B.Toillustratethatmenusuallydonottouchuponanythingimportantintalkingabouttheirworkandinterest.

C.Toprovemenaremostlyfootballfans.

D.Toshowthatmenintentionallytrytoavoidtalkingabouttheirtruefeelings.

5.PartA

Directions:Youwillhearatalk.Asyoulisten,answerQuestions1-10bycirclingTRUEorFALSE.YouwillhearthetalkONLYONCE.Younowhave1minutetoreadQuestions1-10.

听力原文：Whenyoucloseyoureyesandtrytothinkoftheshapeofyourownbody，whatyouimagine(or，rather，whatyoufeel)isquitedifferentfromwhatyouseewhenyouopenyoureyesandlookinthemirror．Theimageyoufeelismuchvaguerthantheoneyousee．Andifyouliestill，itisquitehardtoimagineyourselfashavinganyparticularsizeorshape．

Whenyoumove，whenyoufeeltheweightofyourarmsandlegsandthenaturalresistanceoftheobjectsaroundyou，the“feltimage”ofyourselfstartstobecomeclearer．Itis，almostasifitwerecreatedbyyourownactionsandthesensationstheycause．

Theimageyoumakeforyourselfhasratherstrangeproportions：certainpartsfeelmuchlargerthantheylook．Ifyoupokeyourtongueintoaholeinoneofyourteeth，itfeelsenormous；youareoftensurprisedbyhowsmallitlookswhenyouinspectitinthemirror．

Butalthoughthe“feltimage”maynothavetheexactshapeyouseeinthemirror，itismuchmoreimportant．Itistheimagethroughwhichyourecognizeyourphysicalexistenceintheworld．Inspiteofitsstrangeproportions，itisallonepiece，andsinceithasaconsistentfightandleftandtopandbottom，itallowsyoutolocatenewsensationswhentheyoccur．Itallowsyoutofindyournoseinthedark，scratchitchesandpointtoapain．

Ifthefeltimageisdamagedforanyreason—ifitiscutinhalforlost．asitoftenisaftercertainstrokeswhichwipeoutrecognitionofoneentireside—thesetasksbecomealmostimpossible．Whatismore．itbecomeshardtomakesenseofone'sownvisualappearance．Ifonehalfofthefeltimageiswipedoutorinjured，thepatientstopsrecognizingtheaffectedpartofhisbody．Itishardforhimtofindthelocationofsensationoilthatside．and．althoughhefeels：thedoctor'stouch，helocatesitasbeingontheundamagedside．

Heloseshisabilitytoaccepttheaffectedsideaspartofhisbodyevenwhenhecanseeit．Ifyouthrowhimapairofglovesandaskhimtoputthemon，hewillonlygloveonehandandleavetheotherbare．Andyethehadtousethelefthandinordertoglovethefight．Thefactthathecanseetheunglovedhanddoesn'tseemtohelphim，andthereisnoreasonwhyitshould．Hecannolongerreconcilewhatheseeswithwhathefeels：theunglovedobjectlyingontheleftmaylooklikeahand，but，sincethereisnofeltimagecorrespondingtoit，whyshouldheclaimtheobjectashis?

Mirrorimagesisoftendifferentfromthe"feltimages".

A.RightB.Wrong

6.Whichpowerdoesthemansuggest?

A.Waterpower.

B.Windpower.

C.Solarpower.

D.Electronicalpower.

7.Whatwasthediscussiontopicofthepreviousclassmeeting?

A.NewEnglandmysterystories.

B.Eighteenth-centuryEnglishcriticism.

C.AcomparisonofpoemsofDickinsonandWhitman.

D.ThepoemsofWaltWhitman.

8.Judgingbytheextraordinarilywarmclothessomepeoplewear,whatmightwelearnaboutthem?

A.Theymaybehomesickandfeelinsecure.

B.Theyareeithercoldorverysick.

C.Theymaytrytoattractotherpeople'sattention.

D.Theywanttoprotectthemselvesfromphysicalinjuries.

9.Whataretheshoppinggoodsthatarebasicallyconsideredthesame?

A.Thosethatsatisfysimilarneedsoftheconsumer.

B.Thosethatconsumersdon'tcarewheretobuy.

C.Thosethatconsumersspendmuchtimelookingfor.

D.Thosethatcanbefoundeverywhere.

10.PartB

Directions:Youwillhear3conversationsortalksandyoumustanswerthequestionsbychoosingA,B,CorD.YouwillheartherecordingONLYONCE.

听力原文：M:Ireallydon'tknowwhattodothissummer.Ican'taffordtojustsitaround,andtheredon'tseemtobeanyjobsavailable.

W:Whydon'tyoutryhouse-sitting?LastsummermyfriendSallyhouse-satfortheGammonswhentheywentawayonvacation.Mrs.GammonhiredSallytostayintheirhousebecauseshedidn'twantitleftempty.

M:YoumeantheGammonspaidSallyjusttoliveintheirhouse?

W:Itwasn'teasy.Shehadtomowthelawnandwaterthehouseplants.AndwhenJodihouse-satforMr.Johnson,hehadtotakecareofhispets.

M:House-sittingsoundslikeagoodjob.Iguessit'salittlelikebaby-sitting—exceptyou'retakingcareofahouseinsteadofchildren.

W:Thestudentemploymentofficestillhasafewjobsposted.

M:DoIjusthavetofilloutanapplication?

W:SallyandJodihadtointerviewwiththehomeownersandprovidedthreereferenceseach.

M:Thatseemslikealotoftroubleforasummerjob.

W:Well,thehomeownerswantsomeguaranteesothattheycantrustthehouse-sitter.Youknow,theywanttomakesureyou'renotthetypewho'11throwwildpartiesintheirhouse,ormoveagroupoffriendsinwithyou.

M:House-sitterswhodothatsortofthingprobablyaren'tpaidthen.

W:Usuallythey'repaidanywayjustbecausethehomeownersdon'twanttomakeafuss.Butifthehomeownerreportedit,thenthehouse-sitterwouldn'tbeabletogetanotherjob.Soifthehomeownerreportedit,thenthehouse-sitterwouldn'tbeabletogetanotherjob.Sowhydon'tyouapply?

M:Yeah,IthinkIwill.

Whichjobdocsthewomansuggesttotheman?

A.Baby-sitting.

B.House-cleaning.

C.House-sitting.

D.Mowingthelawn.

11.WangpreferstolivewithanEnglishfamily.

A.TrueB.Fasle

12.WhatwasmarkedoneachboxinsidethetreeinWashington?

13.Inbrief,whatdidthespeakertalkabout?

14.Accordingtothespeaker,whywerelogcabinsespeciallypopulartosettlerswhomovedwest?

A.Theycouldeasilybuildtheloghousesthemselves.

B.Theycouldconstructthehousesfromkits.

C.Theylikedthecozyatmosphereoftheloginterior.

D.Theywantedhomesthatcouldbetransported.

15.Ourhumanfriendssometimesmaymakeusbored,butthefriendsinbooksmayalsobehurtbyus.

A.RightB.Wrong

二、2.UseofEnglish(10题)16.(33)

17.(44)

18.(50)

19.

【C16】

20.(35)

21.(46)

22.(47)

23.

【C13】

24.(42)

25.(41)

三、3.ReadingComprehension(15题)26.(79)

27.(73)

28.(69)

29.PartB

Directions:Inthefollowingarticlesomeparagraphshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions66-70,choosethemostsuitableparagraphfromthelistA-Ftofitintoeachofthenumberedgaps.Thereisoneparagraphwhichdoesnotfitinanyofthegaps.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

Inthefollowingarticlesomeparagraphshavebeenremoved．ForQuestions66～70，choosethemostsuitableparagraphfromthelistA～Ftofitintoeachofthenumberedgaps．ThereisOneparagraphwhichdoesnotfitinanyofthegaps．MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1．

Supermarketshoppershaveneverbeenmorespoiltforchoice．Butjustwhenwethoughttraditionalsystemsofselectivefarminghadcreatedthemosttemptingarrayoffoodsmoneycanbuy，wearenowbeingpresentedwiththeprospectofgeneticallycreatedstrainsofcabbages，onion，tomato，potatoandapple．

Itmaynotticklethefancyoffoodpuristsbutitfirestheimaginationofscientists．LastweektheydiscoveredthattheclassicParisianmushroomcontainsjustthepropertiesthat，whengeneticallymixedwithawildstrainofmushroomfromtheSonoradesertinCalifornia，couldhelpitgrowenmassewhileatthesametimeprovidingitwiththeresilienceofthewildstrain．

66．______

“Wehavefoundawayofincreasingthesuccessratefromoneto90percent．”

Thisisjustoneofthemanyproductsthat，accordingtoskeptics，arecreatingagenerationof“Frankenfoods”．Thefirstsuchfoodthatmaybeconsumedonawidescaleisatomatowhichhasbeengeneticallymanipulatedsothatitdoesnotsoftenasitripens．

67．______

Criticssaythatthenewtomato—whichcost$25milliontoresearch—isdesignedtostayonsupermarketshelvesforlonger．Ithasaten-daylifespan．

Notsurprisingly，every-hungryUSisleadingthesearchfortheseforbiddenfruit．Bychangingthegenesofagrapefruit．agrowerfromTexashascreatedasweet，red，thin-skinnedgrapefruitexpectedtosellatapremiumoveritsCaliforniaandFloridacompetitors．

Forchipfanaticswhowanttowatchtheirwaist-lines，newhigh-starch，low-moisturepotatoesthatabsorblessfatwhenfriedhavebeencreated，thankstoagenefromintestinalbacteria．

Thescientistsbehindsuchnewfoodarguethatgeneticengineeringissimplyanextensionofanimalandplantbreedingmethodsandthatbybroadeningthescopeofthegeneticchangesthatcanbemade，sourcesoffoodareincreased.Accordingly，theyargue，thisdoesnotinherentlyleadtofoodsthatarelesssafethanthosedevelopedbyconventionaltechniques．Butifdesirablegenesareswappedirrespectiveofspeciesbarriers，couldthingsspiraloutofcontrol?“Knowledgeisnottoxic，”saidMarkCantley，headofthebiotechnologyunitattheOrganisationforEconomicCo-operationandDevelopment．“Ithasgivenusafargreaterunderstandingofhowlivingsystemsworkatamolecularlevelandthereisnoreasonforpeopletothinkthatscientistsandfarmersshouldusethatknowledgetodoriskythings．”

Clearly，financialincentiveliesbehindthedevelopmentofthesebigger，moreproductivefoods．Butwemayhaveonlyourselvestoblame．Intheearlyperiodofmassfoodcommerce，foodvarietiesweredevelopedbytraditionalmethodsofselectivebreedingtosuitthelocalpalate．Butassuppliersstartedtoselectandpreserveplantvariantsthathadlargerfruit，consumerexpectationsrose，leadingtothedevelopmentofthedesirableclones．Still，traditionalistsandgourmetsinEuropearefightingtheirdevelopment．

68．______

Eveninthepre-packagedUS．wheretheslow-softeningtomatowillsoonbereachingsupermarkets，1,500AmericanchefshavelenttheirsupporttothePureFoodCampaignwhichcallsfortheinternationalboycottofgeneticallyengineeredfoodsuntilmoreisknownabouttheconsequencesofthetechnologyandreliablecontrolshave

30.ShortagesoffluvaccinearenothingnewinAmerica,butthisyear'sisawhopper.Untillastweek,itappearedthat100millionAmericanswouldhaveaccesstoflushotsthisfall.ThenBritishauthorities,concernedaboutquality-controlproblemsataproductionplantinLiverpool,barredallfurthershipmentsbytheChironCorp.Overnight,theU.S.vaccinesupplydwindledbynearlyhalfandfederalhealthofficialsfoundthemselvesmakinganunusualplea.Insteadofbeseechingusalltogetvaccinated,they'renowurgingmosthealthypeoplebetweentheagesof2and64notto."Thisreemphasizesthefragilityofourvaccinesupply,"saysDr.MartinMyersoftheNationalNetworkforImmunizationInformation,"andthelackofredundancyinoursystem."

Whyissuchabasichealthservicesoeasilyknockedout?Mainlybecauseprivatecompanieshavehadlittleincentivetopursueit.Tocreateasingledoseoffluvaccine,amanufacturerhastogrowlivevirusina2-week-oldfertilizedchickenegg,thencracktheegg,harvestthevirusandextracttheproteinsusedtoprovokeanimmuneresponse.Profitmarginsarenarrow,demandisfickleand,becauseeachyear'sfluvirusisdifferent,anyleftovervaccinegoestowaste.Asaresult,theUnitedStatesnowhasonlytwomajorsuppliers(ChironandAventisPasteur)--andwhenoneofthemrunsintotrouble,thereisn'tmuchtheothercandoaboutit."Avaccinemakercan'tjustcallupandorder40millionmorefertilizedeggs,"saysManonCox,ofConnecticut-basedProteinSciencesCorp."There'sawholeindustrythat'sscheduledtoproduceacertainnumberofeggsatacertaintime."

Sleekertechnologiesarenowintheworks,andexpertsarehopingthatthisyear'sfiascowillspeedthepaceofinnovation.Themainchallengeistoshiftproductionfromeggsintocellcultures--amediumalreadyusedtomakemostothervaccines.Fluvaccinesareharderthanmosttoproducethisway,butseveralbiotechcompaniesarenowpursuingthisstrategy,andoneculture-basedproduct(SolvayPharmaceuticals'Invivac)hasbeenclearedformarketinginEurope.

ForAmericans,theimmediatechallengeistomakethemostofalimitedsupply.Thegovernmentestimatesthat95millionpeoplestillqualifyforshotsunderthevoluntaryrestrictionsannouncedlastweek.That'snearlytwicethenumberofdosesthatclinicswillhaveonhand,butonly60millionAmericansseekoutshotsinanormalyear.Infact,manyexpertsarehopingtheshortagewillserveasanawarenesscampaign--encouragingthepeoplewhoreallyneedaflushottogetone.

Shortagesoffluevaccineshowthat______.

A.Americareliestoomuchonforeignsuppliers

B.thedemandoffluevaccinesishighthisyear

C.qualityproblemisaseriousprobleminfluvaccineproduction

D.thesupplyoffluvaccinesisratherweakandAmericahasnoback-upmeasurestomakeitup

31.

Themeaningoftheword"anomaly"inthesecondlineof4thparagraphis______.

A.somethingstrange

B.enjoyablethings

C.anormally

D.comparison

32.

Whycanmanypeoplesee"silverlinings"totheeconomicshowdown?

A.Theywouldbenefitincertainways.

B.Thestockmarketshowssignsofrecovery.

C.Suchaslowdownusuallyprecedesaboom.

D.Thepurchasingpowerwouldbeenhanced.

33.(78)

34.TheVillageGreeninNewMilford,Connecticut,isasnapshotofNewEnglandcharm:acarefullymanicuredlawnflandedbyscrupulouslymaintainedcolonialhomes.Babysittersdandlekidsinthewoodengazebo,waitingforcommuterparentstoreturnfromNewYork.OnalazyafternoonlastweekCarolineNicholas,16,hadnothingmorepressingtodothandrinkintheearly-summersunshineanddiscusstherecenteventsintown."Idon'tthinkalotofolderpeopleknewtherewereunhappykidsinNewMilford,"shesaid,"Icouldseeitcorning."

Inafive-dayperiodinearlyJuneeightgirlswerebroughttoNewMilfordHospitalafterwhathospitalofficialscallsuicidalgestures.Thegirls,allbetween12and17,triedavarietyofmeasures,includingheavydosesofalcohol,o-ver-the-countermedicinesandcutsorscratchestotheirwrists.Nonewassuccessful,andmostdidn'trequirehospitalization;butatleasttwoattempts,accordingtothehospital,couldhavebeenvital.Theirreasonsseemedasmundaneastheotherhappen-stancesofsuburbanlife."Iwasjustsickofitall,"Onetoldareporter,"Everythinginlife."Mostalarming,emergency-roomdoctorFrederickLohsetoldalocalreporterthatseveralgirlssaidtheywerepartofasuicidepact.Thehospitallaterbackedawayfromthisremark.Butcominginthewakeofatleastsixteensuicideattemptsoverthepreviousfewmonths,thissuddencluster—alongwiththeinfluxofmedia—hassetthiswell-groomedsuburbof23,000onedge.AtatownmeetinglastWednesdaynight,DrSimonSobo,chiefofpsychiatryatthehospital,toldmorethan200parentsandkids,"We'retalkingaboutacrisisthathasreallygottenoutofhand."Laterheadded,"TherehavebeenmoresuicideattemptsthisspringthanIhaveseeninthe13yearsIhavebeenhere."

Sobosaidthatthegirlshetreateddidn'thaveseriousproblemsathomeorschool."Manyofthesewerepopularkids,"hesaid,"Theygotplentyoflove,butbeneaththereassuringsigns,aswathofteensherearenotmakingit."Somesaythatdrugs,bothpotand'realdrugs',arecommonplace.KidshaveshownupwithLIFESUCKSandLONGLIVEDEATHpennedontheirarms.Afewgirlscasuallydisplayscarsontheirarmswheretheycutthemselves."You'dbesurprisedhowmanykidstrysuicide,"saidonegirl,17."Youdon'twanttoputpainonotherpeople;youputitonyourself."Shesaidsheusedtocutherself"justtoreleasethepain".

Emily,15,afriendofthreeofthegirlstreatedinJune,saidonewashavingfamilyproblems,onewas"upsetthatday"andthethirdwas"justupsetwitheverythingelsegoingon".Shesaidtheyweren'treallytryingtokillthemselves—theyjustneededconcern.AsSobonoted,"What'sgoingoninNewMilfordisnotuniquetoNewMilford."Thesameunderlyingcultureofdespaircouldbefoundinanytown.Butteensuicide,headded,canbea"contagion".RightnowNewMilfordhasthebug—andhasitbad.

Whatisthemainsubjectofthepassage?

A.EightgirlscommittedsuicideinNewMilford.

B.ThevillageGreenisnotacharmingplace.

C.Teenagersuicide.

D.Dr.SimonSobo'sachievements.

35.

Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethat______.

A.thedropofcrimerateiscausedbyJackMaples'stwo-tiersystem

B.thedropofcrimerateiscausedbytheincreasedimprisonment

C.itisdifficulttoidentifytheexactcauseforthefallofcrimerate

D.theincreasedimprisonmentisnotthereasonforthefallofcrimerate

36.PartB

Directions:Inthefollowingarticlesomeparagraphshavebeenremoved.ForQuestions66-70,choosethemostsuitableparagraphfromthelistA-Ftofitintoeachofthenumberedgaps.Thereisoneparagraphwhichdoesnotfitinanyofthegaps.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

AccordingtotheAmericanAcademyofDermatology,anestimated10to50millionpeopleinthiscountryhaveanallergicreactiontopoisonivyeachyear.Poisonivyisoftenverydifficulttospot.Itcloselyresemblesseveralothercommongardenplants,andcanalsoblendinwithotherplantsandweeds.Butifyoucomeintocontactwithit,you'11soonknowbytheitchy,blisteryrashthatformsonyourskin.Poisonivyisared,itchyrashcausedbytheplantthatbearsitsname.Manypeoplegetitwhentheyarehikingorworkingintheirgardenandaccidentallycomeintodirectcontactwiththeplant'sleaves,roots,orstems.Thepoisonivyrashoftenlookslikeredlines,andsometimesitformsblisters.

66.______

About85percentofpeopleareallergictotheurushiolinpoisonivy,accordingtotheAmericanAcademyofDermatology.Onlyatinyamountofthischemical—1billionthofagram—isenoughtocausearashinmanypeople.Somepeoplemayboastthatthey'vebeenexposedtopoisonivymanytimesandhavenevergottentherash,butthatdoesn'tnecessarilymeanthey'renotallergic.Sometimestheallergydoesn'temergeuntilyou'vebeenexposedseveraltimes,andsomepeopledeveloparashaftertheirveryfirstexposure.Itmaytakeuptotendaysfortherashtoemergethefirsttime.

67.______

Herearesomeotherwaystoidentifythepoisonivyplant.Itgenerallygrowsinaclusteroflow,weed-likeplantsorawoodyvinewhichcanclimbtreesorfences.Itismostoftenfoundinmoistareas,suchasriverbanks,woods,andpastures.Theedgesoftheleavesaregenerallysmoothorhavetiny"teeth".Theircolorchangesbasedontheseason—reddishinthespring;greeninthesummer;andyellow,orange,orredinthefall.Itsberriesaretypicallywhite.

68.______

Thebody'simmunesystemisnormallyinthebusinessofprotectingusfrombacteria,viruses,andtheirforeigninvadersthatcanmakeussick.Butwhenurushiolfromthepoisonivyplanttouchestheskin,itinstigatesanimmuneresponse,calleddermatitis,towhatwouldotherwisebeaharmlesssubstance.Hayfeverisanotherexampleofthistypeofresponse;inthecaseofhayfever,theimmunesystemoverreactstopollen,oranotherplant-producedsubstance.

69.______

Theallergicreactiontopoisonivyisknownasdelayedhypersensitivity.Unlikeimmediatehypersensitivity,whichcausesanallergicreactionwithinminutesofexposuretoanantigen,delayedhypersensitivityreactionsdon'temergeforseveralhoursorevendaysaftertheexposure.

70.______

Intheplaceswhereyourskinhascomeintocontactwithpoisonivyleavesorurushiol,withinonetotwodaysyou'lldeveloparash,whichwillusuallyitchrredden,burn,swell,andform.blisters.Therashshouldgoawaywithinaweek,butitcanlastlonger.Theseverityofthereactionoftenhastodowithhowmuchurushiolyou'vetouched.Therashmayappearsoonerinsomepartsofthebodythaninothers,butitdoesn'tspread—theurushiolsimplyabsorbsintotheskinatdifferentratesindifferentpartsofthebody.Thickerskinsuchastheskinontheonsolesofyourfeet,ishardertopenetratethanthinnerskinonyourarmsandlegs.

A.Becauseurushiolisfoundinallpartsofthepoisonivyplant—theleaves,stems,androots—it'sbesttoa-voidtheplantentirelytopreventarash.Thetroubleis,poisonivygrowsalmosteverywhereintheUnitedStates(withtheexceptionoftheSouthwest,Alaska,andHawaii),sogeographywon'thelpyou.Thegeneralruletoidentifypoisonivy,"leafletsthree,

37.PartA

Directions:ReadthefollowingtextsandanswerthequestionswhichaccompanythembychoosingA,B,CorD.MarkyouranswersonANSWERSHEET1.

Whenitcomestotheslowingeconomy,EllenSperoisn'tbitinghernailsjustyet.Butthe47-year-oldmanicuristisn'tcutting,fillingorpolishingasmanynailsasshe'dliketo,either.Mostofherclientsspend$12to$50weekly,butlastmonthtwolongtimecustomerssuddenlystoppedshowingup.Speroblamesthesofteningeconomy.…Imagoodeconomicindicator,”shesays,“Iprovideaservicethatpeoplecandowithoutwhenthey'reconcernedaboutsavingsomedollars.”SoSperoisdownscaling,shoppingatmiddle-browDillard'sdepartmentstorenearhersuburbanClevelandhome,insteadofNeimanMarcus.“Idon'tknowifotherclientsaregoingtoabandonme,too.”shesays.

EvenbeforeAlanGreenspan'sadmissionthatAmerica'sred-hoteconomyiscooling,lotsofworkingfolkshadalreadyseensignsoftheslowdownthemselves.Fromcardealershipstogapoutlets,saleshavebeenlaggingformonthsasshopperstempertheirspending.Forretailers,wholastyeartookin24percentoftheirrevenuebetweenThanksgivingandChristmas,thecautiousapproachiscomingatacrucialtime.Already,expertssay,holidaysalesareoff7percentfromlastyear'space.Butdon'tsoundanyalarmsjustyet.Consumersseemonlyconcerned,notpanicked,andmanysaytheyremainoptimisticabouttheeconomy'slong-termprospects,evenastheydosomemodestbelt-tightening.

Consumerssaythey'renotindespairbecause,despitethedreadfulheadlines,theirownfortunesstillfeelprettygood.InManhattan,“there'sanewgoldrushhappeninginthe$4millionto$10millionrange,predominantlyfedbyWallStreetbonuses,”saysbrokerBarbaraCorcoran.InSanFrancisco,pricesarestillrisingevenasfrenziedoverbiddingquiets.“Insteadof20to30offers,nowmaybeyouonlygettwoorthree,”saysJohnDeadly,aBayAreareal-estatebroker.Andmostfolksstillfeelprettycomfortableabouttheirabilitytofindandkeepajob.

Manyfolksseesilverliningstothisslowdown.Potentialhomebuyerswouldcheerforlowerinterestrates.Employerswouldn'tmindalittlefewerbubblesinthejobmarket.Manyconsumersseemtohavebeeninfluencedbystock-marketswings,whichinvestorsnowviewasanecessaryingredienttoasustainedboom.Dinersmightseeanupside,too.GettingatableatManhattan'shotnewAlainDucasserestaurantneedtobeimpossible.Notanymore.Forthat,Greenspan&Co.maystillbeworthtoasting.

By“EllenSperoisn'tbitinghernailsjustyet”(Line1,Paragraph1),theauthormeans______.

A.Sperocanhardlymaintainherbusiness

B.Speroistoomuchengagedinherwork

C.Sperohasgrownoutofherbadhabit

D.Speroisnotinadesperatesituation

38.Theideaofafishbeingabletoproduceelectricitystrongenoughtolightlampbulbs—oreventorunasmallelectricmotor—isalmostunbelievable,butseveralkindsoffishareabletodothis.Evenmorestrangely,thiscuriouspowerhasbeenacquiredindifferentwaysbyfishbelongingtoverydifferentfamilies.

Perhapsthemostknownaretheelectricrays,ortorpedoes,ofwhichseveralkindsliveinwarmseas.Theypossessoneachsideofthehead,behindtheeyes,alargeorganconsistingofanumberofhexagonal-shapedcellsratherlikeahoneycomb.Thecellsarefilledwithajelly-likesubstance,andcontainaseriesofflatelectricplates.Oneside,thenegativeside,ofeachplate,issuppliedwithveryfinenerves,connectedwithamainnervecomingfromaspecialpartofthebrain.Currentgetsthroughfromtheupper,positivesideoftheorgandownwardtothenegative,lowerside.Generallyitisnecessarytotouchthefishintwoplaces,completingthecircuit,inordertoreceiveashock.

Thestrengthofthisshockdependsonthesizeoffish,butnewly-bornonesonlyabout5centimetersacrosscanbemadetolightthebulbofapocketflashlightforafewmoments,whileafullygrowntorpedogivesashockcapableofknockingamandown,and,ifsuitablewiresareconnected,willoperateasmallelectricmotorforseveralminutes.

Anotherfamousexampleistheelectriceel.Thisfishgivesanevenmorepowerfulshock.Thesystemisdifferentfromthatofthetorpedointhattheelectricplatesrunlongitudinallyandaresuppliedwithnervesfromthespinalcord.Consequently,thecurrentpassesalongthefishfromheadtotail.Theelectricorgansofthesefisharereallyalteredmusclesandlikeallmusclesareapttotire,sotheyarenotabletogenerateelectricityforverylong.PeopleinsomepartsofSouthAmericawhovaluetheelectriceelasfood,takeadvantageofthisfactbydrivinghorsesintothewateragainstwhichthefishdischargetheirelectricity.Thehorsesarelessaffectedthanamanwouldbe,andwhentheelectriceelshaveexhaustedthemselves,theycanbecaughtwithoutdanger.

TheelectriccatfishoftheNileandofotherAfricanfreshwatershasadifferentsystemagainbywhichcurrentpassesoverthewholebodyfromthetailtothehead.Theshockgivenbythisarrangementisnotsostro