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夏徛荣:2004年考研英语考前冲刺试卷(四)

http://www.sina.com.cn 2003/12/23 08:59  北京领航考研

  作者:夏徛荣

  Section I Listening Comprehension

  Directions: This section is designed to test your ability to understand spoken English. You will hear a selection of recorded materials and you must answer the questions that accompany them. There are three parts in this section, Part A, Part B and Part C.

  Remember, while you are doing the test, you should first put down your answers in your test booklet. At the end of the listening comprehension section, you will have 5 minutes to transfer all your answers from your test booklet to ANSWER SHEET 1.

  If you have any questions, you may raise your hand NOW as you will not be allowed to speak once the test has started.

  Now look at Part A in your test booklet.

  Part A

  Directions: For Questions 1—5, you will hear a talk about the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks. While you listen, fill out the table with the information you’ve heard. Some of the information has been given to you in the table. Write only 1 word or number in each numbered box. You will hear the recording twice. You how have 25 seconds to read the table below. (5 points)

  Part B

  Directions: For questions 6 – 10, you will hear a radio weather forecast. For questions 6-10, complete the sentences or answer the questions. Use not more than 3 words for each answer. You will hear the recording twice. You now have 25 seconds to read the sentences and the question below. (5 points)

  Part C

  Directions: You will hear three pieces of recorded material. Before listening to each one, you will have time to read the questions related to it. While listening, answer each question by choosing A, B, C or D. after listening, you will have time to check your answers. You will hear each piece once only. (10 points)

  Questions 11-13 are based on the following talk about the mass media. You now have 15 seconds to read questions 11-13.

  11. The speaker states that newspapers and broadcasting corporations

  [A] are but business organizations.

  [B] are the foundations of democracy.

  [C] entertain rather than inform.

  [D] report the news impartially.

  12. The speaker points out that the prevailing customs

  [A] support free and impartial discussion.

  [B] restrict what can be broadcast.

  [C] give too much emphasis to profit-making.

  [D] are being influenced by the instruments of propaganda.

  13. In the eyes of the speaker, truth should emerge

  [A] from free and impartial discussion.

  [B] from careful reasoning.

  [C] from meticulous study.

  [D] from proper research.

  You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 11-13

  Questions 14-16 are based on the following talk about the United States history. You now have 15 seconds to read questions 14-16.

  14. The talk is mainly concerned with which of the following aspects of the United Sates history?

  [A] The agricultural trends of the 1950’s.

  [B] The general economic situation in the 1950’s.

  [C] The unemployment rate in 1955.

  [D] The federal budget of 1952.

  15. Which of the following were LEAST satisfied with the national economy in the 1950’s?

  [A] Politicians.

  [B] Steelworkers.

  [C] Economists.

  [D] Farmers.

  16. It can be inferred from the passage that most people in the United States in 1955 viewed the national economy with an air of

  [A] scorn.

  [B] confusion.

  [C] optimism.

  [D] suspicion.

  You now have 30 seconds to check your answers to Questions 14-16.

  Questions 17-20 are based on a talk on police departments. You now have 20 seconds to read questions 17-20.

  17. Which of the following best states the speaker’s opinion about public interest in the police?

  [A] It has never been very consistent.

  [B] It has never been very keen.

  [C] It grows with the growth of new media.

  [D] It is weakest when it is needed most.

  18. The speaker maintains that in the 19th century, the information about police departments available to the public was

  [A] not very comprehensive.

  [B] distorted by politicians.

  [C] not very accurate.

  [D] heavily censored by police officials.

  19. The writer argues that public notion about the police force is usually

  [A] well-grounded.

  [B] distorted.

  [C] far-reaching.

  [D] exaggerated.

  20. According to the speaker, modernizing a police department means

  [A] narrowing its overall function.

  [B] expanding it.

  [C] improving its leadership.

  [D] professionalizing it.

  You now have 40 seconds to check your answers to Questions 17-20.

  Section II Use of English

  Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C, D on ANSWER SHEET 1. (10 points)

  The announcement that England’s mad cow disease was involved in 10 cases of a fatal human brain disorder has been met with understandable hysteria. The market for British beef 21 , 100,000 farmers’ jobs are 22

  jeopardy, and the government is trying to 23 a crisis that could cause billions of dollars in losses.

  But what is striking about the situation is how sharply the decisive public reaction to the crisis contrasts with the 24 language in the announcement. Scientists said consumption of contaminated beef was “the most likely

  25 ” for 10 cases of a similar human illness called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease —— nothing more 26 than that.

  The crisis is a telling example of a phenomenon occurring ever more 27 : A complex scientific debate is suddenly thrust 28 an anxious public that is ill-equipped to understand it. Instant communications, combined with the greater willingness of government and industry leaders to go public with their scientific disputes, 29

  concern. The core of real science gets 30 by a flurry of “junk science” —— conflicting 31 by politicians,

  32 press reports, legal depositions, even dueling ads.

  The real problem is the nature of scientific inquiry, which 33 involves uncertainty. Researches cannot say conclusively whether mad cow disease 34 a risk to humans. They don’t know the extent of the 35 or how it can be stopped. Indeed, they can’t even agree on the cause. “This is tremendously difficult for the public to sort

  36 . If scientists are disagreeing, what’s the citizen to 37 ?” asks Paul Slovic, an American psychologist at Decision Research in Eugene.

  One 38 to be drawn from the mad cow crisis is that governments shouldn’t cut funding for basic research, which can help prevent tomorrow’s crises. But the only real solution is for government and industry leaders to use scientific information responsibly. 39 scientific disputes have become a fact of modern life. Nothing else so clearly 40 science’s limits.

  21. [A] sank

  [B] collapsed

  [C] contracted

  [D] predicted

  22. [A] at

  [B] in

  [C] about

  [D] by

  23. [A] defuse

  [B] refuse

  [C] confuse

  [D] profuse

  24. [A] continual

  [B] circular

  [C] cautious

  [D] peculiar

  25. [A] corruption

  [B] constitution

  [C] interpretation

  [D] explanation

  26. [A] extensive

  [B] tentative

  [C] definite

  [D] specific

  27. [A] frequently

  [B] strangely

  [C] thoroughly

  [D] completely

  28. [A] out

  [B] on

  [C] over

  [D] off

  29. [A] trigger

  [B] retrieve

  [C] claim

  [D] conceive

  30. [A] intensified

  [B] labeled

  [C] speculated

  [D] overwhelmed

  31. [A] sayings

  [B] statements

  [C] remarks

  [D] addresses

  32. [A] confusing

  [B] promising

  [C] demanding

  [D] binding

  33. [A] mostly

  [B] rarely

  [C] partially

  [D] inevitably

  34. [A] grants

  [B] poses

  [C] delivers

  [D] distracts

  35. [A] dimension

  [B] trend

  [C] epidemic

  [D] impact

  36. [A] through

  [B] on

  [C] out

  [D] on

  37. [A] assume

  [B] consume

  [C] presume

  [D] resume

  38. [A] attention

  [B] moral

  [C] message

  [D] lesson

  39. [A] characterized

  [B] unsolved

  [C] stimulate

  [D] unrivalled

  40. [A] illustrates

  [B] impresses

  [C] manifests

  [D] exhibits

  Part III Reading Comprehension

  Part A

  Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C, D. Mark your choice on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)

  Text 1

  The sweep, when it came, was swift and thorough. Dozens of Italian customs officers searched across the country and began pounding on doors in Milan, Bologna, Pisa and Pesaro. Their target: a loose alliance of computer bulletin board operators suspected of trafficking in stolen software.

  It was the most dramatic move yet in a determined —— and some say increasingly desperate —— effort by governments around the world to curb the spread of software piracy. The unauthorized copying of computer programs by American businesses alone deprived software publishers of $1.6 billion in 1998, a figure that swells to nearly $7.5 billion when overseas markets are included. “Industry’s loss on a global basis is staggering,” says Ken Wasch, head of the U.S. Software Publishers Association.

  But government actions to stop the losses may be causing more problems than they solve. The Italian campaign, which began just as the newly elected right-wing government of media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi took office, hit largely left-leaning bulletin boards. And it is seen by some Italians as an ill-disguised attempt to suppress free speech on a troublesome new medium. In the U.S. a widely publicized federal case against a college student accused of operating a pirate bulletin board may backfire if, as expected, a judge rules that the charges filed against the student do not fit the crime. The underlying difficulty, say copyright experts, comes from trying to guard intangible electronic “property” using laws that were crafted with printing press technology in mind.

  At first glance, software piracy seems no different from that of any other copyrighted material. Pirated American movies regularly appear in Asia and Africa long before their official release on video.

  But software is not really like other intellectual property. Books and videotapes can be copied only by processes that are relatively time-consuming and expensive, and the product is never quite as good as the original. Software, on the other hand, is easily duplicated, and the result is not a scratchy second-generation copy but a perfect working program.

  The rapid growth of electronic networks only compounds the problem, for it allows anyone with a computer and a modem to distribute software silently and instantaneously. More than countries around the world are already connected to the Internet, a global network that reaches an estimated 25 million computer users.

  In many developing countries, software piracy has become widespread. According to Software Publishers Association, 95% of the software in Pakistan is pirated, 89% in Brazil, 88% in Malaysia and 82% in Mexico. Hundreds of tiny gizmo shops in the mazelike streets of Seoul’s Yongsan electronics market offer brandname U.S. made programs for a program’s for a fraction of the list price, including Lotus 1-2-3 for $7.50 (suggested retail: $368). New Delhi’s largest pirate outlet is a backroom operation that offers customers a catalog of nearly 400 titles and facilities for making copies for as little as $4 a disk.

  41. We can learn from the passage that governments’ effort bring under control the spread of software piracy

  [A] has produced desirable results.

  [B] might have caused more problems.

  [C] has totally come to nothing.

  [D] must authorize copying of computer programs.

  42. The case of a US a college student demonstrated that

  [A] the abuse of laws is very commonplace in US.

  [B] it is no easy job to eliminate pirates of cyberspace.

  [C] the student is not entitled to use such software.

  [D] the student is suspected of trafficking in stolen software.

  43. Software piracy seems to differ from that of any other copyrighted material in that

  [A] pirated software is comparable to the original.

  [B] computers fail to operate with software.

  [C] piracy deprives publishers of substantial profits.

  [D] users have easy access to the global network.

  44. The last paragraph is written to

  [A] enumerate cases of software piracy.

  [B] elaborate the popularity of gizmo shops.

  [C] illustrate the rampancy of software piracy.

  [D] appraise the profits at retail prices.

  45. The following paragraphs after this passage would most probably discuss

  [A] the compensation for the intellectual property.

  [B] a report on the largest case of software piracy

  [C] the reforms on the current copyright system.

  [D] the ultimate weapon against the widespread piracy.

  Text 2

  Across the United states, boys have never been in more trouble: They earn 70 percent of the D’s and F’s that teachers give out. They make up two thirds of students labeled “learning disabled”. They are the criminals in a 9 to 10 alcohol and drug violations and the suspected perpetrators in 4 out of 5 crimes that end up in juvenile court. They account for 80 percent of high school dropouts and attention deficit disorder diagnoses.

  That’s not what America expects from its boys. “Maybe because men enjoy so much power and prestige in society, there is a tendency to see boys as competitors for success,” says child psychologist Michael Thompson. “So people see in boys signs of strength where there are none, and they ignore all of the evidence that they are in trouble.”

  But that evidence is getting tougher than ever to overlook. Today, scientists are discovering very real biological differences that can make boys more impulsive, more vulnerable to benign neglect, less efficient classroom learners —— in sum, the weaker sex.

  What’s more, social pressure often compounds biological vulnerability. “Boys today are growing up with tremendous expectations but without adequate emotional fuel or the tools they need to succeed in school or sustain deep relationships,” says Eli Newberger, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital. A recent study found girls ahead of boys in almost every measure of well-being: Girls feel closer to their families, have higher aspirations, and even boast better assertiveness skills.

  Schools are taking note, too —— and they are beginning to act. Early childhood specialists, concerned with ever accelerating curriculum demands, are advocating delayed entrance of boys into kindergarten, to give them time to catch up with girls developmentally. Other districts are experimenting with single-sex classrooms within coed schools, in the hopes that all-boy classes will allow boys to improve standardized test scores in reading and writing. In response to charges of the “feminization” of the classroom —— including, critics argue, female teachers with too little tolerance for the physicality of boys —— schools are beginning to re-examine their attitudes toward male activity levels and even revamp disciplinary techniques.

  46. This passage is probably written to answer the question

  [A] “Is sex discrimination justifiable?”

  [B] “Are boys born vulnerable?”

  [C] “Boys, the weak sex?”

  [D] “What is the source of well-being?”

  47. It is implied in the first paragraph that

  [A] boys might have earned the reputation of trouble-makers in the US.

  [B] boys have never undergone difficulties in their academic pursuits.

  [C] girls have never run into as many troubles as boys in US.

  [D] girls follow the examples set by boys but in vain.

  48. The word “revamp”(Line 7, Paragraph 5) might mean

  [A] abolish.

  [B] revise.

  [C] defy.

  [D] employ.

  49. Which of the following seems to be the most important reasons for boys’ poor performance?

  [A] biological weaknesses.

  [B] lack of aspirations.

  [C] extreme stress.

  [D] standardized tests.

  50. Schools undertake to review their attitudes towards male activity because of

  [A] the failures of experiments.

  [B] the neglect of the teaching staff.

  [C] acceleration of living pace.

  [D] the charges against classroom feminization.

  Text 3

  “We’re using the wrong word”, says Sean Drysdale, a desperate doctor from a rural hospital at Hlabisa in northern KwaZulu-Natal. “This isn’t an epidemic, it’s a disaster”. A recent UNICEF report, which states that almost one-third of Swaziland’s 900,000 people are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, supports this diagnosis. HIV is spreading faster in southern Africa than anywhere else in the world.

  But is anyone paying attention? Despite the fact that most of the world’s 33.5 million HIV/AIDS cases are in sub-Saharan Africa —— with an additional 4 million infected each year —— the priorities at last week’s Organisation of African Unity summit were conflict resolution and economic development. Yet the epidemic could have a greater effect on economic development —— or, rather, the lack of it —— than many politicians suspect. While business leaders are more concerned about the Y2K millennium bug than the long-term effect of AIDS, statistics show that the workforce in South Africa, for instance, is likely to be 20% HIV positive by next year. Medical officials and researchers warn that not a single country in the region has a cohesive government strategy to tackle the crisis.

  The way managers address AIDS in the workplace will determine whether their companies survive the first decade of the 21st century, says Deane Moore, an actuary for South Africa’s Metropolitan Life insurance company. Moore estimates that in South Africa there will be 580,000 new AIDS cases a year and a life expectancy of just 38 by 2010. “We’ll be back to the Middle Ages,” says Drysdale, whose hospital is in one of the areas in South Africa with the highest rates of HIV infection. “The graph is heading toward the vertical. And yet people are still not taking it seriously.”

  Most southern African countries are simply too poor to supply more than basic health services, let alone medicines, to confront the crisis. Patients in some government hospitals in Harare have to supply their own bedding, food, drugs and, in some cases, even their own nurses. Zimbabwe’s frail domestic economy depends to a large extent on informal enterprises and small businesses, many of which are going bankrupt as AIDS takes its toll on owners and employees. “The ripple effect is devastating,” says Harare AIDS researcher Renee Lowenson.

  More ominous are the implications for South Africa, with a sophisticated industrial infrastructure as well as a widespread informal sector. While the South African government is active in promoting AIDS education, it hasn’t the money, manpower or material to cope with the attack of AIDS. Already the government is caught up in a legal tangle with international pharmaceutical companies over rights to import or locally manufacture cheaper anti-AIDS drugs. It is also bargaining over the possible purchase —— if the price is reduced enough —— of the anti-viral drug AZT, to distribute freely to pregnant HIV-positive victims.

  51. The author believes that Sean Drysdale’s comments on the problem seem to be

  [A] wildly exaggerated.

  [B] nothing but true.

  [C] absolutely irrelevant.

  [D] rather superficial.

  52. It seems that the effects of AIDS on economic development in African

  [A] might be more mighty than is anticipated.

  [B] contribute to the boom of informal enterprises.

  [C] are less than most experts expected.

  [D] led to the collapse of insurance companies.

  53. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

  [A] A sophisticated industrial infrastructure is the last resort in the campaign.

  [B] Everyone has paid attention to the looming danger in Africa.

  [C] It is a necessary move to go back to the lifestyles of the Middle Ages.

  [D] Business leaders should give priority to the long-term effect of AIDS.

  54. The author maintains that the ultimate weapon against the disease depends on

  [A] no other than the government concerned.

  [B] joint efforts and further coordination.

  [C] international pharmaceutical companies.

  [D] the world red cross.

  55. Towards the spread of the epidemic, the author’s attitude seems to be that of

  [A] compromise.

  [B] scorn.

  [C] anxiety.

  [D] amaze.

  Text 4

  Sweden’s Freedom of the Press Act is part of its Constitution. The Cabinet and Parliament have few and limited opportunities to interfere with the press. On several occasions, legislation has been proposed to provide better protection to individuals and to restrict crime, reporting, for example, but these have not won a political majority. In Sweden it has been regarded as in the public interest not to surround the activities of the media with excessively restrictive laws. Other interests have been subordinated to this principle.

  Instead, we have had an efficient self-policing system. The Swedish Broadcasting Corporation has accepted the ethical rules adopted by representatives of the print media. These rules are very specific in a number of areas, for example, respect for individual privacy.

  Compared with other countries, for example, Swedish crime reporting is very restrained. Media organizations have established definite rules about when the name of an accused person may be disclosed. This may be done only after conviction for a serious offence. An ordinary citizen can thus count on anonymity in cases where he has not been convicted of a very serious crime.

  The situation is different when people in the public eye are involved. A senior civil servant, business owner or politician can expect to have his name revealed even if he is only a suspect in a crime. The same applies to such television celebrities as actors and personalities. The reason why the media make exceptions from the otherwise strict rules in these cases is that they regard it as in the public interest that the activities of these people be made known.

  In recent years, there have been a number of cases where the need to disclose names has been challenged, and where it has been apparent that such disclosure has done far more damage to the person in question than any legal punishment.

  In Sweden, as in other countries, there has been debate about violence and pornography in the visual media. But this has been more closely associated with the videocassette business than with radio or television. One reason is that television has been relatively restrained about showing programs or movies containing violence or pornography. Among members of the public, there is a high level of tolerance for erotic films, but the limits are far stricter when it comes to violence. Typically, the groups that have criticized television and video have focused almost exclusively on violence, especially in videocassettes.

  56. This passage is mainly about

  [A] the progress of Swedish media.

  [B] crime reporting in Sweden.

  [C] the ethical concerns of Swedish media.

  [D] a media-free nation.

  57. We can learn from the text that in Sweden the media would

  [A] never hesitate to help a citizen to cover up crimes committed.

  [B] hardly show sympathy for actors and personalities.

  [C] reveal the name of an ordinary citizen only if the offence is serious.

  [D] disclose the name of a person who committed any crimes.

  58. In Sweden, people show more concerns over the videocassette business than on radio or television because

  [A] the government exerts more restrictions on the issue of videocassettes.

  [B] the former invariably earn the contempt from entertainment-oriented viewers.

  [C] the public are becoming more and more tolerant of violence scenes on the screen.

  [D] the latter is comparatively free to show programs involving violence or pornography.

  59. Towards the practices of Swedish media organizations, the author’s overall attitude seems to be that of

  [A] suspicion.

  [B] approval.

  [C] opposition.

  [D] prejudice.

  60. It can be inferred from the passage that in dealing with crime reporting Swedish television is

  [A] very cautious.

  [B] rather bold.

  [C] quite irresponsible.

  [D] very careless.

  Part B

  Directions: Read the following text carefully and then translate the BOLD segments into Chinese. Your translation should be written clearly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (10 points)

  Though people on both sides regret for them, these annual summer disputes over Supreme Court nominees can be valuable exercises in civic education. (61) The Robert Borkathon of 1987 forced millions of Americans to think about the role of a constitution in a democracy: the proper way to interpret 200-year-old phrases, the conflict between majority rule and individual freedom, and so on.

  (62) This summer President Bush’s nomination of Clarence Thomas has unexpectedly plunged the nation even deeper into the pool of first principles. America finds itself debating natural law. An enthusiasm for something called “natural law” is one of the repeated themes in Thomas’ slim collection of writings and speeches. What he means by natural law and what uses he would put it to as a life-tenured Supreme Court Justice are not clear. (63) This justifiably alarms some people, who are worried that “natural law” could become an excuse for a conservative judge to impose his political agenda —— just as conservatives have accused liberal judges of using “privacy” to do the same thing.

  In fact, though, the two questions can be separated. Is there something called natural law? And is it a legitimate basis for judges to overrule the wishes of the majority as expressed in laws of a less noble sort?

  At this point in American history, the answer to the first question is beyond challenge. Yes. As far as the U.S. is concerned, natural law exists. The “Laws of Nature” are right there in the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence. (64) The second and most famous sentence provides a perfect definition of natural law: human beings are “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights,” including “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

  Where do these rights come from? Some may have trouble with the concept of a divine creator. Others may find it excessively impractical to insist that every human being has these rights in a world where most people are evidently unfree to exercise them. (65) But few can doubt that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are what a civilized society ought to strive to provide its members. As the Declaration says, that is the reason “Governments are instituted.” It is “self-evident.” That’s good enough for me.

  Part IV Writing

  66. Directions:

  A. Competition is inevitable in our modern society because it can stimulate our enthusiasm, strengthen our will and give us inspiration. However, the role of cooperation or teamwork should not be ignored. Study the following picture carefully and write a composition on the topic the Role of Teamwork.

  B. Your essay must be written clearly on the ANSWER SHEET.

  C. Your essay should cover all the information provided and meet the requirements below:

  1. Describe the symbolic meaning of the pictures

  2. Give another example to illustrate your viewpoints

  3. Bring your essay to a natural conclusion.

  Keys and Reference

  Part IV

  61. 1987年因博卡桑被提名而引发的马拉松式争辩,迫使数百万美国人去思考宪法在民主政体中所扮演的角色:200年前写下来的条文该如何诠释,多数决定与个人自由之间的冲突又该如何调解。

  62. 今夏布什总统出人意料地提名托马斯,使全国更加深陷于基本原则的泥沼。美国突然间掀起了一股论辨自然法的风潮。

  63. 也难怪有不少人会因此而感到不安了,他们担心“自然法”会变成这位保守派法官推行他政治计划的借口 —— 就好像保守派曾经指控自由派法官利用“隐私权”来达到同样的目的一样。

  64. 最有名的是第二个句子为自然法写下了完美的定义:“造物主赋予人类无法剥夺的权利”,包括“生命权、自由权,以及追求幸福的权利。”

  65. 可是,很少有人会反对文明社会应该为它的人民设法提供生命、自由、与追求幸福的权利。如同独立宣言所称,那就是“设立政府”的原因所在。而这也是“不辩自明”的。

  Part V (omitted)

  听力书面材料

  Part A

  The poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks has been praised for deepening the significance of personal and social experiences so that these experiences became universal in their implication. She has also been praised for her “sense of form which is basic and remarkable”. Many of her poems are concerned with a Black community named Bronzeville, on the south side of Chicago. Her literary skill makes Bronzeville more than just a place on a map. This community, like all important literary places, becomes a testing ground of personality, a place where the raw material of experience is shaped by imagination and where the joys and trials of being human are both sung and judged. The qualities for which Brooks’s poetry is noted are (as one critic has pointed out) “boldness, invention, a daring to experiment, and a naturalness that does not scorn literature but absorbs it”.

  Her love for poetry began early. At the age of seven she “began to put rhymes together”, and when she was thirteen, one of her poems was published in a children’s magazine. During her teens she contributed more than seventy-five poems to a Chicago newspaper. In 1941 she began to attend a class in writing poetry at the South Side Community Art Center, and several years later, her poems began to appear in Poetry and other magazines. Her first collection of poems, A Street in Bronzeville, was published in 1945. Four yours later, Annie Allen, her second collection of poems, appeared. In 1950 Annie Allen was awarded a Pulitzer prize for poetry. A novel, Maud Martha, about a young Black girl growing up in Chicago, published in 1953, was praised for its warmth and insights. In 1963 her selected poems appeared.

  Part B

  Weather stations report daily atmospheric conditions to Washington for the making of weather maps. About a hundred years after the invention of the barometer, Benjamin Franklin first noted that certain storms had a rotary motion and that in the eastern portion of the United States they traveled in a northeaster direction. This observation and the invention of the barometer led to the establishment of our Weather Bureau. In order to prepare the necessary maps, the weatherman must have accurate information from all parts of the country. At eight o’clock every morning the telegraph companies permit the use of their wires by nearly 3,500 weather observers scattered all over this country, Canada, and the West Indies to send messages to Washington. These reports give the barometer readings, temperatures, wind directions and speed, sky conditions, and the amount of rain or snow. They are then charted on the weather maps and, within two hours after the information has been received at Washington, maps are being sent to about sixteen hundred distributing points by radio, telegraph, telephone, and mail. The forecasts reach nearly ninety thousand addresses daily by mail, the greater part being delivered early in the day and none later, as a rule, than 6 p.m. of the date of issue. They are available to more than 5,500,000 telephone subscribers within an hour of the time of issue.

  Part C

  Passage 1

  The instruments of propaganda are themselves business corporations organized and financed for profit, and as such subject to those influences that condition and are conditioned by the system of free economic enterprise. Newspapers are free to print all the news that’s fit to print; but they cannot consistently propagate ideas that will alienate the business interests whose paid advertisements enable them to distribute profits to the stockholders. Broadcasting corporations are free from government censorship, or reasonably free to broadcast what they will; but in the last analysis they will not broadcast that which seriously offends the prevailing customs, or the business enterprises which, in this country at lest, sponsor and finance their programs of entertainment.

  In democratic societies free and impartial discussion, from which the truth is supposed to emerge, is permitted and does occur. But the thinking of the average man is largely shaped by a wealth of factual information and the conflicting opinions which the selective process of competitive business enterprise presents to him for consideration: information, the truth of which he cannot verify; ideas, formulated by persons he does not know, and too overtly inspired by private economic interests that are never avowed.

  Passage 2

  The economy of the United States after 1952 was the economy of a well-fed, almost fully employed people. Despite occasional alarms, the country escaped any postwar liquidation and lived in a state of boom. The history of extraction, production, and distribution had therefore been almost nothing but a statistical table reflecting prosperity. An economic survey of the year 1955, a typical year of the 1950s, may be typical as illustrating the decade. The national output was valued at about 10 percent above that of 1954 (1955 output was estimated at 392 billion dollars). The production of manufacturers was about 40 percent more than it had averaged in the years immediately following World War II. The country’s business spent about 30 billion dollars for new factories and machinery. National income available for spending was almost a third greater than it had been in 1950. Consumers spent about 156 billion dollars, that is, about 700 million dollars a day, or about twenty-five million dollars every hour, all around the clock. Sixty-five million people held jobs and only a little more than two million wanted jobs but could not find them. Only agriculture complained that it was not sharing in the boom. To some observers this was an looming echo of the mid-1920’s. As farmers’ share of their products reclined, marketing costs rose. But there were few pessimists among the observers of the national economy. Those few seemed to fear that the prosperity was based on government pump-priming on a stupendous scale.

  Passage 3

  Few institutions are more important to an urban community than its police, yet there are few subjects historians know so little about. Most of the early academic interest developed among political scientists and sociologists, who usually examined their own contemporary problems with only a nod toward the past. Even the public seemed concerned only during crime waves, periods of blatant corruption, or after a particularly grisly episode. Party regulars and reformers generally viewed the institution from a political perspective; newspapers and magazine —— the nineteenth century’s media —— emphasized the vivid and spectacular.

  Yet urban society has always vested a wide, indeed awesome, responsibility in its polite. Not only were they to maintain order, prevent crime, and protect life and property, but historically they were also to fight fires, suppress vice, assist in health services, supervise elections, direct traffic, inspect buildings, and locate truants and runaways. In addition, it was assumed that the police were the special guardians of the citizens’ liberties and the community’s tranquillity. Of course, the performance never matched expectations. The record contains some success, but mostly failure; some effective leadership, but largely official incompetence and betrayal. The notion of a professional police force in America is a creation of the twentieth century; not until our own time have cities begun to take the steps necessary to produce modern departments.

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