[A] scientific claims will survive challenges. [B] discoveries today inspire future research. [C] efforts to make discoveries are justified. [D] scientific work calls for a critical mind.
35.Which of the following would be the best title of the text? [A] Novelty as an Engine of Scientific Development [B] Collective Scrutiny in Scientific Discovery [C] Evolution of Credibility in Doing Science [D]Challenge to Credibility at the Gate to Science Text 4
①If the trade unionist Jimmy Hoffa were alive today, he would probably represent civil servants. ②When
Hoffa’s Teamsters were in their prime in 1960, only one in ten American government workers belonged to a
union; now 36% do. ③In 2009 the number of unionists in America’s public sector passed that of their fellow
members in the private sector. ④In Britain, more than half of public-sector workers but only about 15% of
private-sector ones are unionized.
①There are three reasons for the public-sector unions’ thriving. ②First, they can shut things down
without suffering much in the way of consequences. ③Second, they are mostly bright and well-educated. ④A
quarter of America’s public-sector workers have a university degree. ⑤Third, they now dominate left-of-centre
politics. ⑥Some of their ties go back a long way. ⑦Britain’s Labor Party, as its name implies, has long been
associated with trade unionism. ⑧Its current leader, Ed Miliband, owes his position to votes from public-sector
unions.
①At the state level their influence can be even more fearsome. ②Mark Baldassare of the Public Policy
Institute of California points out that much of the state’s budget is patrolled by unions. ③The teachers’ unions
keep an eye on schools, the CCPOA on prisons and a variety of labor groups on health care. ①In many rich countries average wages in the state sector are higher than in the private one. ②But the
real gains come in benefits and work practices.③Politicians have repeatedly “backloaded” public-sector pay
deals, keeping the pay increases modest but adding to holidays and especially pensions that are already generous.
①Reform has been vigorously opposed, perhaps most notoriously in education, where charter schools,
academies and merit pay all faced drawn-out battles. ②Even though there is plenty of evidence that the quality
of the teachers is the most important variable, teachers’ unions have fought against getting rid of bad ones and promoting good ones.
①As the cost to everyone else has become clearer, politicians have begun to clamp down. ②In Wisconsin
the unions have rallied thousands of supporters against Scott Walker, the hardline Republican governor. ③But
many within the public sector suffer under the current system, too.
①John Donahue at Harvard’s Kennedy School points out that the norms of culture in Western civil
services suit those who want to stay put but is bad for high achievers. ②The only American public-sector
workers who earn well above $250,000 a year are university sports coaches and the president of the United
States. ③Bankers’ fat pay packets have attracted much criticism, but a public-sector system that does not 74
reward high achievers may be a much bigger problem for America.
36. It can be learned from the first paragraph that [A] Teamsters still have a large body of members. [B] Jimmy Hoffa used to work as a civil servant.
[C] unions have enlarged their public-sector membership. [D] the government has improved its relationship with unionists. 37. Which of the following is true of Paragraph 2? [A] Public-sector unions are prudent in taking actions. [B] Education is required for public-sector union membership. [C] Labor Party has long been fighting against public-sector unions. [D]Public-sector unions seldom get in trouble for their actions.
38. It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that the income in the state sector is [A] illegally secured. [B] indirectly augmented. [C] excessively increased. [D] fairly adjusted.
39. The example of the unions in Wisconsin shows that unions [A]often run against the current political system. [B]can change people’s political attitudes. [C]may be a barrier to public-sector reforms. [D]are dominant in the government.
40. John Donahue’s attitude towards the public-sector system is one of [A] disapproval. [B] appreciation. [C] tolerance.
[D] indifference. Part B
Directions：In the following text, some sentences have been removed. For Questions 41－45, choose the most
suitable one from the list A－G to fit into each of the numbered blanks. There are two extra choices, which do
not fit in any of the blanks. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.（10 points）
Think of those fleeting moments when you look out of an aeroplane window and realise that you are flying,
higher than a bird. Now think of your laptop, thinner than a brown-paper envelope, or your cellphone in the
palm of your hand. Take a moment or two to wonder at those marvels. You are the lucky inheritor of a dream come true.
The second half of the 20th century saw a collection of geniuses, warriors, entrepreneurs and visionaries
labour to create a fabulous machine that could function as a typewriter and printing press, studio and theatre,
paintbrush and gallery, piano and radio, the mail as well as the mail carrier.（41） .
The networked computer is an amazing device, the first media machine that serves as the mode of
production, means of distribution, site of reception, and place of praise and critique. The computer is the 21st century’s culture machine.
But for all the reasons there are to celebrate the computer, we must also tread with caution. （42） . I call it a secret war for two reasons. First, most people do not realise that
there are strong commercial agendas at work to keep them in passive consumption mode. Second, the majority
of people who use networked computers to upload are not even aware of the significance of what they are doing.
All animals download, but only a few upload. Beavers build dams and birds make nests. Yet for the most
part, the animal kingdom moves through the world downloading. Humans are unique in their capacity to not
only make tools but then turn around and use them to create superfluous material goods—paintings, sculpture 75
and architecture—and superfluous experiences—music, literature, religion and philosophy. （43） .
For all the possibilities of our new culture machines, most people are still stuck in download mode. Even
after the advent of widespread social media, a pyramid of production remains, with a small number of people
uploading material, a slightly larger group commenting on or modifying that content, and a huge percentage
remaining content to just consume.（44） .
Television is a one-way tap flowing into our homes. The hardest task that television asks of anyone is to
turn the power off after he has turned it on.（45） .
What counts as meaningful uploading? My definition revolves around the concept of “stickiness” —creations
and experiences to which others adhere.
[A] Of course, it is precisely these superfluous things that define human culture and ultimately what it is to
be human. Downloading and consuming culture requires great skills, but failing to move beyond downloading
is to strip oneself of a defining constituent of humanity.
[B] Applications like tumblr.com, which allow users to combine pictures, words and other media