试题库在线考试题库-历年真题模拟试题及答案-考博英语在线试题测试中心-希赛网

题库

首页 > 题库 > 华南师范大学

This month Singapore passed a bill that would give legal teeth to the moral obligation to support one's parents. Called the Maintenance of Parents Bill, it received the backing of the Singapore Government.That does not mean it hasn’t generated discussion. Several members of the Parliament opposed the measure as un-Asian. Others who acknowledged the problem of the elderly poor believed it a disproportionate response. Still others believe it will subvert relations within the family: cynics dubbed it the "Sue Your Son” law.Those who say that the bill does not promote filial responsibility, of course, are right. It has nothing to do with filial responsibility, it kicks in where filial responsibility fails. The law cannot legislate filial responsibility any more than it can legislate love. All the law can do is to provide a safety net where this morality proves insufficient. Singapore needs this bill not to replace morality, but to provide incentives to shore it up.Like many other developed nations, Singapore faces the problems of an increasing proportion of people over 60 years of age. Demography is inexorable. In 1980, 7.2% of the population was in this bracket. By the turn of the century, that figure will grow to 11%. By 2030, the proportion is projected to be 2%. The problem is not old age. It is that the ratio of economically active people to economically inactive people will decline.But no amount of government exhortation or paternalism will completely eliminate the problem of old people who have insufficient means to make ends meet. Some people will fall through the holes in any safety net.Traditionally, a person's insurance against poverty in his old age was his family. This is not revolutionary concept. Nor is it uniquely Asian Care and support for one's parents is a universal value shared by all civilized societies.The problem in Singapore is that the moral obligation to look after one's parents is unenforceable. A father can be compelled by law to maintain his children, a husband can be forced to support his wife. But, until now, a son or daughter had no legal obligation to support his or her parent.In 1989, an Advisory Council was set up to look into the problems of the ageD.Its report stated with a tinge of complacency that 95% of those who did not have their own income were receiving cash contributions from relations. But what about the 5% who aren’t getting relatives support? They have several options:(a)get a job and work until they die;(b) apply for public assistance(you have to be destitute to apply ); or(c) starve quietly. None of these options is socially acceptable and what if this 5% figure grows, as it is likely to do, as society ages?The Maintenance of Parents Bill was put forth to encourage the traditional virtues that have so far kept Asian nations from some of the breakdowns encountered in other affluent societies. This legislation will allow a person to apply to the court for maintenance from any or all of his children. The court would have the discretion to refuse to make an order if it is unjust.Those who deride the proposal for opening up the courts to family lawsuits miss the point. Only in extreme cases would any parent take his child to court. If it does indeed become law, the bill's effect would be far more subtle.First, it will reaffirm the notion that it is each individuals- not society's—responsibility look after his parents. Singapore is still conservative enough that most people will not object to this ideA.It rein forces the traditional values and it doesn’t hurt a society now and then to remind itself of its core values.Second, and more important it will make those who are inclined to shirk their responsibilities think twice. Until now, if a person asked family elders, clergymen or the ministry of community Development to help get financial support from his children, the most they could do was to mediate. But mediators have no teeth, and a child could simply ignore their pleas.But to be sued by one's parents would be a massive loss of face. It would be a public disgrace Few people would be so thick-skinned as to say: Sue and be damneD.The hand of the conciliator would be immeasurably strengtheneD.It is far more likely that some sort of amicable settlement would be reached if the recalcitrant son or daughter knows that the alternative is a public trial.It would be nice to think that Singapore doesn't need this kind of law. But that belief ignores the clear demographic trends and the effect of affluence itself on traditional bonds. Those of us who pushed for the bill will consider ourselves most successful if it acts as an incentive not to have it invoked in the first place.1.The maintenance of Parents Bill（）.2.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?3.The author seems to suggest that traditional values（）.4.The author thinks that if the bill becomes law its effect would be（）.5.At the end of the passage, the author seems to imply that success of the Bill depends upon（）.

When a consumer finds that an item she or he bought is faulty or in some other way does not live up to the manufacturer's claim for it, the first step is to present the warranty, or any other records which might help, at the store of purchase. In most cases, this action will produce results. However, if it does not, there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction.A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain directly to the store manager. In general, the "higher up" the consumer takes his or her complaint, the faster he or she can expect it to be settleD.In such a case, it is usually settled in the consumer's favor, assuming he or she has a just claim.Consumers should complain in person whenever possible, but if they cannot get to the place of purchase, it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter.Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly, and especially when the consumer can demonstrate what is wrong with the item in question. If this cannot be done, the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong, rather than by making general statements. For example, "The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear" is better than "This stereo does not work."The store manager may advise the consumer to write to the manufacturer. If so, the consumer should do this, stating the complaint as politely and as firmly as possible. But if a polite complaint does not achieve the desired result, the consumer can go a step further. She or he can threaten to take the seller to court or report the seller to a private or public organization responsible for protecting consumers5 rights.1.When a consumer finds that his purchase has a fault in it, the first thing he should do is to（）.2.If a consumer wants a quick settlement of his problem, it's better to complain to（）.3.The most effective complaint can be made by（）.4.The phrase "live up to"(Line 1, Par1)in the context means（）.5.The passage tells us（）.

Taking charge of yourself involves putting to rest some very prevalent myths. At the top of the list is the notion that intelligence is measured by your ability to solve complex problems; to read, write and compute at certain levels, and to resolve abstract equations quickly. This vision of intelligence asserts formal education and bookish excellence as the true measures self-fulfillment. It encourages a kind of intellectual prejudice that has brought with it some discouraging results. We have come to believe that someone who has more educational merit badges, who is very good at some form of school discipline is "intelligent". Yet mental hospitals are filled with patients who have all of the properly lettered certificates. A truer indicator of intelligence is an effective, happy life lived each day and each present moment of every day.If you are happy if you live each moment for everything it’s worth, then you are intelligent person. Problem solving is a useful help to your happiness, but if you know that given your inability to resolve a particular concern you can still choose happiness for yourself, or at a minimum refuse to choose unhappiness, then you are intelligent, your are intelligent because you have the ultimate weapon against the big N.B.D Nervous Break Down.“Intelligent" people do not have N. B.D's because they are in charge of themselves. They know how to choose happiness over depression because they know how to deal with the problems of their lives.You can begin to think of yourself as truly intelligent on the basis of how you choose to feel in the face of trying circumstances. The life struggles are pretty much the same for each of usEveryone who is involved with other human beings in any social context has similar difficulties. Disagreements, conflict and compromises are a part of what it means to be human. Similarly, money, growing old, sickness, deaths, natural disasters and accidents are all events which present problems to virtually all human being. But some people are able to make it, to avoid immobilizing depression and unhappiness despite such occurrences, while others collapse or have an N.B.D.Those who recognize problems as a human condition and don't measure happiness by an absence of problems are the most intelligent kind of humans we know; also, the most rare.1.According to the author the conventional notion of intelligence measured in terms of one's ability to read, write and compute（）.2.It is implied in the passage that holding a university degree（）.3.The author thinks that an intelligent person knows（）.4.In the last paragraph, the author tells us that（）.5.According to the passage, what kind of people are rare?

There is a popular belief among parents that schools are no longer interested in spelling. No school I have taught in has ever ignored spelling or considered it unimportant as a basic skill. There are, however, vastly different ideas about how to teach it, or how much priority it must be given over general language development and writing ability. The problem is, how to encourage a child to express himself freely and confidently in writing without holding him back with the complexities of spelling.If spelling become the only focal point of his teacher's interest, clearly a bright child will be likely to play safe. He will tend to write only words within his spelling range, choosing to avoid adventurous language. That's why teachers often encourage the early use of dictionaries and pay attention to content rather than technical ability.I was once shocked to read on the bottom of a sensitive piece of writing about a personal experience: “This work is terrible! There are far too many spelling errors and your writing is illegible.” It may have been a sharp criticism of the pupil’s technical abilities in writing, but it was also a sad reflection on the teacher who had omitted to read the essay, which contained some beautiful expressions of the child’s deep feelings. The teacher was not wrong to draw attention to the errors, but if his priorities had centered on the child's ideas, an expression of his disappointment with the presentation would have given the pupil more motivation to seek improvement.1.Teachers differ in their opinions about（）.2.The expression "play safe" probably means（）.3.Teachers encourage the use of dictionaries so that（）.4.The writer seems to think that the teacher's judgment on that sensitive piece of writing is（）.5.The major point discussed in the passage is（）.

The Carnegie Foundation report says that many colleges have tried to be "all things to all people". In doing so, they have increasingly catered to a narrow-minded careerism while failing to cultivate a global vision among their students. The current crisis, it contends, does not derive from a legitimate desire to put learning to productive ends. The problem is that in too many academic fields, the work has no context; skills, rather than means, have become ends. Students are offered a variety of options and allowed to pick their way to a degree. In short, driven by careerism, "the nation's colleges and universities are more successful in providing credentials than in providing a quality education for their students." The report concludes that the special challenge confronting the undergraduate college is one of shaping an "integrated core" of common learning. Such a core would introduce students "to essential knowledge, to connections across the disciplines, and in the end, to application of knowledge to life beyond the campus."Although the key to a good college is a high-quality faculty, the Carnegie study found that most colleges do very little to encourage good teaching. In fact, they do much to undermine it. As one professor observed "Teaching is important, we are told, and yet faculty know that research and publication matter most." Not surprisingly, over the last twenty years colleges and universities have failed to graduate half of their four-year degree tenure, promotion, or substantial salary increases. Yet 70 percent of all faculty say their interests lie more in teaching than in research. Additionally, a frequent complaint among young scholars is that “there is pressure to publish, although there is virtually no interest among administrators or colleagues in the content of the publications.”1.When a college tries to be all things to all people (Lines 1, ParA.1), it aims to（）.2.By saying that "in too many academic fields, the work has no context" (Para.1) the author means that the teaching in these areas（）.3.One of the reasons for the current crisis in American colleges and universities is that（）.4.Why did American colleges and universities fail to graduate half of their four-year degree candidates?5.It can be inferred from the passage that high -quality college education calls for（）.

In recent years, more and more foreigners are involved in the teaching programs of the universities. Both the advantages and the disadvantages（1）. using faculty from foreign countries（2）teaching positions have to be （3）, of course. It can he said that foreign（4）that makes the faculty member from abroad an asset also（5）problems of adjustment, both for the university and for the individual.The foreign research scholar usually isolate（6）in the laboratory as a means of protection;（7）, what he need is to be fitted（8）a highly organized university system quite different from（9）at home. He is faced in his daily work（10）differences in philosophy, arrangements of courses and methods of teaching. Both the visiting professor and his students（11）background in each other's cultures. Some（12）of what is already in the minds of the students is（13）by the foreign professor. While helping him to（14）himself to his new environment, the university must also（15）certain adjustments in order to（16）full advantage of what the newcomer can（17）.It isn't always known how to make（18）use of foreign faculty, especially at smaller colleges. This is thought to be a （19）where further study is called（20）. The findings of such a study will be of value to colleges and universities with foreign faculty.

For centuries animals have been used as（）for people in experiments to assess the effects of therapeutic and other agents that might later be used in humans.

The sheer diversity of tropical plants represents a seemingly（）source of raw materials, of which only a few have been utilize.

The magician picked several persons（）from the audience and asked them to help him with the performance.

Changing from solid to liquid, water takes in heat from all substances near it, and this（）produces artificial cold surrounding it.

To call the music of another music-culture "primitive "is（）one’s own standards on a group that does not recognize them.

If you push hard on the world, the world will push back on you; if you touch the world gently, the world will touch you（）.

Although not an economist himself, Dr. Smith has long been a severe critic of the（）government’s policies.

Rejecting the urging of his physician father to study medicine, Hawking chose to（）on math and theoretical physics.

Telecommunication developments enable the sending of messages（）television, radio and very shortly, electronic mail to bombard people with many messages.

Today chemicals are used to destroy crop insects, to preserve food and to purify our water among many other（）.

（）me, I think an English-Chinese dictionary is much more helpful to our study than an all English dictionary.

In this factory, suggestions often have to wait for months before they are fully（）.

Under the present system, state enterprises must（）all profits to the government.

At the drugstore, the pharmacist refused to give me any medicine because she could not read（）.

暂未登录

学员用户尊享特权

老师批改作业做题助教答疑学员专用题库高频考点梳理

上一页 2 3 4 5 6 7 下一页