国家开放大学：2011—2012学年第二学期“开放专科”英语专业英语阅读（3）期末试题（7月）.pdf_大学文库

Part I Read Passage 1 and decide the meaning of the following words with the help of the context. The paragraph in which the word appears is indicated in brackets. Write A , B , or C on your answer sheet. (30 points, 3 points each) Passage 1 Communication and Gender in Business 1 According to popular American linguist , Deborah Tannen , communication habits vary depending on individual personality , culture , and among other factors , gender. Since male ways of communicating are standard in business, women' s ways of talking are often ignored or misunderstood in the workplace. Tannen emphasizes that female and male styles are both valid. Here are some of Tannen' s main points. 2 Conversational styles in boys and girls show up early. Even 5-year-old boys care about their rank in the group , while 5-year-old girls care more about being in or out of the group. Therefore , men' s conversational styles often use competition , while women try to keep the appearance of equality. 3 Women tend to apologize more than men , as an attempt to restore the power balance in conversation. When men simply accept the apology rather than part of the responsibility , women feel unjustly blamed. 4 Western women favor indirect ways of speaking , which is interpreted by Western men as showing insecurity and lack of confidence. However, this gender difference is also a cultural dL1ferencezJapanese business culturE demands IMIrectneSS ,and th direct approach used by western businessmen is often seen as rude by the Japanese. 5 In business, women are often blamed if they" talk like a woman" (soft , indirect , cautious) , but are also blamed if they "talk like a man" (bossy , aggressive). 6 We have strong negative images of women in authority: Wicked Witch and Mother, so women bosses are judged not as bosses but as women. 7 Gender differences show most strongly not in individuals but in group settings. In a group of men and women , women tend to become silent bystanders, while men are active partIcIpants. 919

millions of phone calls,electronic mail messages,video clips and World Wide Web pages at light speed. 3 Undersea fiber-optic cables have become one of the most crucial components of today's communications-based global economy,despite mid-1960s predictions that satellites would make earthbound long-distance communications obsolete. 4 "Most people really do not realize the amount of telephone cables that are undersea, and that their calls actually go through them,"said Rob Jones,captain of the C.S.Global Link.There are 228,958 miles (368,472 kilometers)of fiber-optic cable on the floors of the world's sea,enough to encircle Earth almost 10 times,according to KMI Corp.of Rhode Island.Another 177,717 miles of cable are planned for installation worldwide by 2000,KMI estimates. 5 That figure does not count the most ambitious program,Project Oxygen,which backers describe as a $14 billion "Super Internet"that would pay out 198,844 miles of mainly undersea fiber-optic cable touching 175 countries.Oxygen already has the backing of 30 international tele-communications providers and is scheduled for completion in 2003.Project Oxygen is "the most ambitious project of communications in the 20th century, said President John Kestrel of KMI.The internet is a major driver of the expansion.The second driver is the need for video transmissions. 6 Global deregulation of telecommunications markets is also playing a key role in the subsea fiber boom.Phone companies around the world are rapidly going private and governments are opening their markets to competition.Chinese officials,for example, cleverly played 14 competitors off each other in bids to build the first link between China and the United States-and then ultimately told them all to share the 1 billion contract. 7 Phrases such as“quantum leap”and“orders of magnitude”frequently come up in discussions about advances in undersea fiber optics.In 1998,when glass fibers began to replace copper in telecommunications,people stopped talking in terms of hundreds of simultaneous phone calls per cable and started talking about tens of thousands.Scientists at companies such as Ciena Corp.of Maryland have more than quadrupled fiber-cable capacity by using lasers to split light into colors,sending data through each path in a process called 922

millions of phone calls, electronic mail messages, video clips and World Wide Web pages at light speed. 3 Undersea fiber-optic cables have become one of the most crucial components of today' s communications-based global economy , despite mid-1960s predictions that satellites would make earthbound long-distance communications obsolete. 4 "Most people really do not realize the amount of telephone cables that are undersea , and that their calls actually go through them ," said Rob Jones, captain of the C. S. Global Link. There are 228 ,958 miles (368 ,472 kilometers) of fiber-optic cable on the floors of the world' s sea , enough to encircle Earth almost 10 times, according to KMI Corp. of Rhode Island. Another 177 , 717 miles of cable are planned for installation worldwide by 2000 , KMI estImates. 5 That figure does not count the most ambitious program , Project Oxygen , which backers describe as a $ 14 billion "Super Internet" that would payout 198 , 844 miles of mainly undersea fiber-optic cable touching 175 countries. Oxygen already has the backing of 30 international tele-communications providers and is scheduled for completion in 2003. Project Oxygen is "the most ambitious project of communications in the 20th century ," said President John Kestrel of KMI. The internet is a major driver of the expansion. The second driver is the need for video transmissions. 6 Global deregulation of telecommunicati~ns markets is also playing a key role in the subsea fiber boom. Phone companies around the world are rapidly going private and govmmks are opening their markets to competition.Chinese officials,for example , cleverly played 14 competitors off each other in bids to build the first link between China and the United States - and then ultimately told them all to share the $ 1 billion contract. 7 Phrases such as "quantum leap" and "orders of magnitude" frequently come up in discussions about advances in undersea fiber optics. In 1998 , when glass fibers began to replace copper in telecommunications , people stopped talking in terms of hundreds of simultaneous phone callsper cable and started talking about tens of thousands. Scientists at companies such as Ciena Corp. of Maryland have more than quadrupled fiber-cable capacity by using lasers to split light into colors, sending data through each path in a process called • 922

"wave division multiplexing.The newest trans-Atlantic cable can handle 2.4 million voice conversations at one time -or hundreds of thousands of compressed video images.The China-U.S.project will handle 4 million calls at once. 8 Lucent Technology Inc.,one of the leading fiber optic companies,unveiled the latest breakthrough.The ability to transmit as many as 10 million calls over a single fiber by dividing the strand into 80 separate wavelengths of light instead of 16.Lucent says the cable's 400-gigabit (billions of computer instructions per second)speed is enough to carry the world's Internet traffic at any given time on one fiber.One voice phone call requires 64, 000 bits.Is there any limit to the capacity increase?"Absolutely not,said Neil Tagare, Project Oxygen's founder and an undersea fiber veteran,"There is in sight." 9 And as the boom in fiber-optics continues,the cost of fiber decreases.Each voice circuit in a pre-fiber trans-Atlantic cable in 1987 cost about $40,00 annually to build and maintain,Mr.Kessler said.Today,the cost has dropped to roughly to $100 to $200 per circuit,he said.The plunging costs,combined with deregulation and competition in phone markets,have made distance meaningless in communications-and the price of calls. 10 Aboard the C.S.Global Link,Captain Jones remains very busy.The ship returned to Blatimore from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean,after dropping 2,000 miles of cable from Bombay to Malaysia as part of another major project,called Fiber Link Around the Globe.Before Bombay,it helped to lay Atlantic Crossing,covering 3,557 miles of fiber-optic cables at an average speed of 6 knots over 21 days.It takes less than two months to install a trans-Atlentic cable.Ships use computers that are programmed to follow a specific route using global positioning satellite navigation systems.The routes are chosen after careful undersea topographical surveys that consider such factors as underwater earthquake faults, canyons and shipping and fishing routes."If global links continue to grow as they have in the last decade,it's going to get kind of crowded down there,"says Jones. Questions 11-20 are based on Passage 2. 11.Tyco International Ltd. A.is a company which owns many ships B.is a telephone and Internet company C.is a company in charge of Project Oxygen 923

"wave division multiplexing. " The newest trans-Atlantic cable can handle 2. 4 million voice conversations at one time - or hundreds of thousands of compressed video images. The China-D. S. project will handle 4 million calls at once. 8 Lucent Technology Inc. • one of the leading fiber optic companies. unveiled the latest breakthrough. The ability to transmit as many as 10 million calls over a single fiber by dividing the strand into 80 separate wavelengths of light instead of 16. Lucent says the cable's 400-gigabit (billions of computer instructions per second) speed is enough to carry the world' s Internet traffic at any given time on one fiber. One voice phone call requires 64. 000 bits. Is there any limit to the capacity increase? "Absolutely not." said Neil Tagare. Project Oxygen's founder and an undersea fiber veteran , "There is in sight. " 9 And as the boom in fiber-optics continues. the cost of fiber decreases. Each voice circuit in a pre-fiber trans-Atlantic cable in 1987 cost about $ 40.00 annually to build and maintain , Mr. Kessler said. Today , the cost has dropped to roughly to $ 100 to $ 200 per circuit , he said. The plunging costs, combined with deregulation and competition in phone markets, have made distance meaningless in communications - and the price of calls. 10 Aboard the C. S. Global Link , Captain Jones remains very busy. The ship returned to Blatimore from the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean , after dropping 2 ,000 miles of cable from Bombay to Malaysia as part of another major project , called Fiber Link Around the Globe. Before Bombay , it helped to lay Atlantic Crossing. covering 3 ,557 miles of fiber-optic cables at an average speed of 6 knots over 21 days. It takes less than two months to install a trans-A 向ntic cable. Ships use computers that are programmed to follow a specific route using glob~l positioning sa臼llite navigation systems. The routes are chosen after careful undersea topographical surveys that consider such factors as underwater earthquake faults , canyons and shipping and fishing routes. "If global 1inks continue to grow as they have in the last decade , it's going to get kind of crow(ied down there ," says Jones. Questions 11-20 are based on Passage 2. 11. Tyco International Ltd. • A. is a company which owns many ships B. is a telephone and Internet company C. is a company in charge of Project Oxygen 923

more fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before.At the same time,Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets,snacks,and sodas. 2 Statistics show that the way people live determines the way they eat.American lifestyles have changed.They now include growing numbers of people who live alone,single parents and children,and double-income families.These changing lifestyles are responsible for the increasing number of people who must rush meals or sometimes skip them altogether.Many Americans have less time than ever before to spend preparing food.Partly as a consequence of this limited time,60%of all American homes now have microwave ovens.Moreover,Americans eat out nearly four times a week on the average. 3 It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume.The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)and the food industry-growers,processors, marketers,and restaurateurs -compile sales statistics and keep accurate records.This information not only tells us what people are eating,but also tells us about the changes in attitudes and tastes.Red meat,which used to be the most popular choice for dinner,is no longer an American favorite.Instead,chicken,turkey,and fish have become more popular.Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years.This is probably a result of the awareness of the dangers of eating food that contains high levels of cholesterol,or animal fat.Doctors believe that cholesterol is a threat to human health. 4 According to a recent survey,Americans also change their eating patterns to meet the needs of different situations.They have certain ideas about which foods will increase their athletic ability,help them lose weight,make them alert for business meetings,or put them in the mood:for romance.For example,Americans choose pasta,fruit,and vegetables, which supply them with carbohydrates,to give them strength for physical activity,such as sports.Adults choose foods rich in fiber,such as bread and cereal,for breakfast,and salads for lunch to prepare them for business appointments.For romantic dinners,however, Americans choose shrimp and lobster.While many of these ideas are based on nutritional facts,some are not. 5 Americans'awareness of nutrition,along with their changing tastes and needs,leads them to consume a wide variety of foods-foods for health,for fun,and simply for good taste. 927

more fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before. At the same time , Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets, snacks, and sodas. 2 Statistics show that the way people live determines the way they eat. American lifestyles have changed. They now include growing numbers of people who live alone , single parents and children , and double-income families. These changing lifestyles are responsible for the increasing number of people who must rush meals or sometimes skip them altogether. Many Americans have less time than ever before to spend preparing food. Partly as a consequence of this limited time , 60 % of all American homes now have microwave ovens. Moreover , Americans eat out nearly four times a week on the average. 3 It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the food industry - growers, processors, marketers, and restaurateurs - compile sales statistics and keep accurate records. This information not only tells us what people are eating , but also tells us about the changes in attitudes and tastes. Red meat , which used to be the most popular choice for dinner, is no longer an American favorite. Instead , chicken , turkey , and fish have become more popular. Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years. This is probably a result of the awareness of the dangers of eating food that contains high levels of cholesterol , or animal fat. Doctors believe that cholesterol is a threat to human health. 4 According to a recent survey , Americans also change their eating patterns to meet the needs of different situations. They have certain ideas about which foods will increase their athletic ab)~ity help them lose weight , make them alert for business meetings, or put them in the mood for romance. For example , Americans choose pasta , fruit , and vegetables, which supply them with carbohydrates, to give them strength for physical activity , such as sports. Adults choose foods rich in fiber , s~ch as bread and cereal , for breakfast , and salads for lunch to prepare them for business appointments. For romantic dinners, however, Americans choose shrimp and lobster. While many of these ideas are based on nutritional facts , some are not. 5 Americans' awareness of nutrition , along with their changing tastes and needs, leads them to consume a wide variety of foods 一foods for health , for fun , and simply for good taste. 927