A.Personal search agents are indispensable to job-hunters.

　　B. Some sites keep E-mailing job seekers to trace their demands.

　　C.Personal search agents are also helpful to those already employed.

　　D.Some agents stop sending information to people once they are employed.

　　Passage 2

　　Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination have been condemned or made illegal. But one insidious form continues to thrive: alphabetism. This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.

　　It has long been known that a taxi firm called AAAA cars has a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers thumb through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbott has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly evenly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a suspiciously large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K. Thus the American president and vice-president have surnames starting with B and C respectively; and 26 of George Bush's predecessors (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chrétien and Koizumi). The world's three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. As are the world's five richest men (Gates, Buffett, Allen, Ellison and Albrecht).

　　Can this merely be coincidence? One theory, dreamt up in all the spare time enjoyed by the alphabetically disadvantaged, is that the rot sets in early. At the start of the first year in infant school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So short-sighted Zysman junior gets stuck in the back row, and is rarely asked the improving questions posed by those insensitive teachers. At the time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less individual attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly. The humiliation continues. At university graduation ceremonies, the ABCs proudly get their awards first; by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are literally having a ZZZ. Shortlists for job interviews, election ballot papers, lists of conference speakers and attendees: all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their recipients lose interest as they plough through them.

　　46. What does the author intend to illustrate with AAA A cars and Zodiac cars?

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　A

　　［注释］结构题。第一段中，作者指出唯有一种歧视ALPHABETISM依然盛行，因为它是潜隐不显的INSIDIOUS, 并且多不为人知UNAWARE.第二段列举的AAAA汽车的例子和ADAM ABBOTT人名的例子都是对此种歧视不易为人察觉的进一步解释。

　　A. A kind of overlooked inequality.

　　B. A type of conspicuous bias.

　　C. A type of personal prejudice.

　　D. A kind of brand discrimination.

　　47、What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　D

　　［注释］推论题。这一题需要从前三段中概括出来其答案。A、B、C三项都是只抓句子细节而不求整体理解所作的陈述。另外，本题与46题相联系，如果46题做错了，这一题也难以做对。

　　A.In both East and West, names are essential to success.

　　B.The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zo? Zysman.

　　C.Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies' names.

　　D.Some form of discrimination is too subtle to recognize.

　　48、The 4th paragraph suggests that

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　C

　　［注释］推论题。这一题的答案可以在第四段中寻找，由于学生的座位是按姓名首字母排列的，那些靠后的学生常常不会被老师提问到，并因此而可能逃学，成绩变差，缺乏当众发言的自信等。本段倒数第一行，BECAUSE THEY GET LESS INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION,由此可知答案为C。

　　A.questions are often put to the more intelligent students.

　　B.alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape form class.

　　C.teachers should pay attention to all of their students.

　　D.students should be seated according to their eyesight.

　　49、What does the author mean by "most people are literally having a ZZZ" (Line 2-3, Paragraph 5)?

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　B

　　［注释］词义题。C、D两项都很容易排除。选择将在A、B之间进行。最后一段讲，所有按字母顺序排列的东西，都会使接受者渐失其兴趣，（ALL TEND TO BE DRAWN UP ALPHABETICALLY, AND THEIR RECIPIENTS LOSE INTEREST AS THEY PLOUGH THOUGH THEM.）A GETTING IMPATIENT,文意尚通，但较笼统。作者在此有一种夸张，逗乐的幽默风格，认为毕业典礼颁发奖品到了后面，很多学生都鼾声如雷了。

　　A.They are getting impatient.

　　B.They are noisily dozing off.

　　C.They are feeling humiliated.

　　D.They are busy with word puzzles.

　　50、Which of the following is true according to the text?

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　D

　　［注释］细节题。这一题与47题类似，要求通观全文，把握作者主要观点。

　　译文 解读 在过去的一个世纪，各种不公平和歧视都遭到了谴责或被视为非法。但是还有一种神秘的不公平和歧视形式继续盛行:按字母排序。对于那些至今还没有意识到这个劣势的人来说，这指的是歧视那些姓氏首字母排在字母表后半部分的人。 这是一篇议论文。

　　第一段指出"按字母顺序排列"这种神秘的不公平和歧视继续盛行。 人们早就发现顾客通过电话本叫出租车时，与一家名叫佐迪亚克的出租车公司相比，一家名叫AAAA的出租车公司具有相当大的优势。人们不太知晓的是一个名叫A DAM ABBOTT的人在他的一生中比一个名叫ZOE ZYSMAN的人占了多大的优势。英语名字很均匀地分布于字母表的前后两部分，不过，许多杰出人物的姓氏首字母都是在A与K之间。

　　美国总统和副总统的姓氏首字母分别是B和C；乔治、布什的前任中（包括他的父亲），有26位姓氏在字母表的前半部分，而只有16位在后半部分。更另人惊奇的，七国首脑中有6位其姓氏具有按字母排序的优势。（贝卢斯科尼，布莱尔，布什，希拉克，施罗德和小泉）。世界三大中央银行家（格林斯藩，德伊森贝赫和福井）的姓氏也都在字母表靠前位置，尽管他们其中一位使用的是日文。世界五大富翁也是一样（盖茨、也菲特、艾伦、艾里森和阿尔布雷赫特）。

　　这仅仅算是巧合吗？排在字母表不利位置的人，花费所有的闲假时间得出的一个结论也是这种情况，在很早时就已经不妙了。在幼儿园另一学期的开始，老师们按字母表顺序从前排开始按排座位，为的是更容易记住他们的名字。所以近视眼的姓氏靠后的人被排到了后排，而那些不敏感的老师也很少向他提出有启发性的问题。当时，因受字母排序之害的学生还以为自己是有幸逃脱了。不过，结果是更糟糕的成绩，他们因为很少受到关注，在公众面前说话时，也就没有那么自信。 第二段、三段、四段用举例子的方法说明一种被人们忽视的不平等和歧视。 这种羞辱还在继续，在大学的毕业典礼上，那些姓氏靠前的人首先获得嘉奖，等轮到了姓氏靠后的人领奖时，大多数人其实已在打鼾了。求职面试的决选名单、投票选举单、会议发言和出席名单，所有这些往往都是按字母顺序排列的，而人们在翻看这些东西的时候总是渐渐的失去兴趣了。 第五段指出这种羞辱并没有结束，与名字排在字母表前部分的人相比，排在字母表后面的人无形中失去了优势。

　　A.People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill-treated.

　　B.VIPs in the Western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.

　　C.The campaign to eliminate alphabetism still has a long way to go.

　　D.Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional bias.

　　Pasage 3

　　When it comes to the slowing economy, Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet. But the 47-year-old manicurist isn't cutting, filling or polishing as many nails as she'd like to, either. Most of her clients spend $12 to $50 weekly, but last month two longtime customers suddenly stopped showing up. Spero blames the softening economy. "I'm a good economic indicator," she says. "I provide a service that people can do without when they're concerned about saving some dollars." So Spero is downscaling, shopping at middle-brow Dillard's department store near her suburban Cleveland home, instead of Neiman Marcus. "I don't know if other clients are going to abandon me, too" she says.

　　Even before Alan Greenspan's admission that America's red-hot economy is cooling, lots of working folks had already seen signs of the slowdown themselves. From car dealerships to Gap outlets, sales have been lagging for months as shoppers temper their spending. For retailers, who last year took in 24 percent of their revenue between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the cautious approach is coming at a crucial time. Already, experts say, holiday sales are off 7 percent from last year's pace. But don't sound any alarms just yet. Consumers seem only concerned, not panicked, and many say they remain optimistic about the economy's long-term prospects, even as they do some modest belt-tightening. Consumers say they're not in despair because, despite the dreadful headlines, their own fortunes still feel pretty good. Home prices are holding steady in most regions. In Manhattan, "there's a new gold rush happening in the $4 million to $10 million range, predominantly fed by Wall Street bonuses," says broker Barbara Corcoran. In San Francisco, prices are still rising even as frenzied overbidding quiets. "Instead of 20 to 30 offers, now maybe you only get two or three," says john Deadly, a Bay Area real-estate broker. And most folks still feel pretty comfortable about their ability to find and keep a job.

　　Many folks see silver linings to this slowdown. Potential home buyers would cheer for lower interest rates. Employers wouldn't mind a little fewer bubbles in the job market. Many consumers seem to have been influenced by stock-market swings, which investors now view as a necessary ingredient to a sustained boom. Diners might see an upside, too. Getting a table at Manhattan's hot new Alain Ducasse restaurant need to be impossible. Not anymore. For that, Greenspan & Co. may still be worth toasting. 51. By "Ellen Spero isn't biting her nails just yet"(Line 1, Paragraph 1), the author means

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　D

　　［注释］词义题。这一题的关键在于作者巧妙地使用了一个双关语PUN,BITE ONE'S NAILS，或形容词NAIL-BITING，指陷入困境，焦虑不安。指甲美容师SPERO面对经济衰退，虽然生意少了，没有指甲可修，但并未陷入绝境，所以说ELLEN SPERO ISN'T BITING HER NAILS JUST YET.

　　A. Spero can hardly maintain her business.

　　B. Spero is too much engaged in her work.

　　C. Spero has grown out of her bad habit.

　　D. Spero is not in a desperate situation.

　　52、 How do the public feel about the current economic situation?

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　A

　　［注释］细节题。文中第二段最后一句话中，顾客们对此只是关注，并不惊慌，尽管很多人消费有所减缩，但他们对经济的长期前景是乐观的。

　　A. Optimistic.

　　B. Confused.

　　C. Carefree.

　　D. Panicked.

　　53、When mentioning "the $4 million to $10 million range" (Lines 3-4, Paragraph 3) the author is talking about.

　　（本题分值：2分）

　　【正确答案】

　　B

　　［注释］细节题。第三段第二句讲，HOME PRICES ARE HOLDING STEADY IN MOST REGIONS,可知是住房价格问题，REAL-ESTATE指房地产。

　　A. gold market.

　　B. real estate.

　　C. stock exchange.

　　D. venture investment.

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