¡¡¡¡Text 3

¡¡¡¡As the American West enters its fifth year of drought¡ªthe longest stretch in 108 years¡ªthe region¡¯s cities are instituting sweeping water-usage restrictions and conservation programs. In Aurora, Colo., where the reservoir system is at just 26% capacity and is expected to reach only half of normal levels by summer, planting new trees and shrubs is prohibited, and privately owned pools may not be filled.

¡¡¡¡In the thirsty, growing cities of Southern California, however, simple conservation simply won¡¯t do the trick. This region imports more than 80% of its water from neighboring states. And even though it jealously guards those arrangements, they won¡¯t be enough to compensate for the rapid growth that lies just ahead: San Diego County¡¯s population alone is projected to rise about 29% by 2020, from 2.84 million to 3.67 million.

¡¡¡¡Drastic times call for drastic measures, so state water agencies are turning to desalination, a technology that makes ocean and brackish water drinkable by stripping it of salt and other minerals. California has plans in various stages to build 13 desalination plants along its coastline. The projects will cost billions, but planners say they¡¯ll provide a far more reliable supply for California residents than waiting for Mother Nature to adjust her weather patterns.

¡¡¡¡Since just 3% of water on earth is fresh, this is a step that would have to be taken anyway as the global population grows. ¡°Desalination will create a drought-proof supply of water,¡± says Bob Yamada, the San Diego Water Authority¡¯s seawater-desalination program manager. He adds that 20 years from now, 10% to 20% of the state¡¯s water could come from the ocean. The American Water Works Assn., a Denverª²based nonprofit dedicated to improving drinkingª²water quality and supply, predicts that the market for desalination plants and equipment, now just $2 billion, will grow to more than $70 billion over the next two decades.

¡¡¡¡Environmentalists embrace desalination. Studies show that pumping the cooling water and concentrate back into the ocean raises its salinity by less than 1%, which is equivalent to the natural rise and fall. Barry Nelson, a senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, says he became a proponent of desalination when a June, 1999, California report demonstrated that it was cheaper than building new dams, which often have a huge environmental impact.

¡¡¡¡Nelson still worries about energy consumption and coastal disruption. But he adds that ¡°desalination is no longer on the lunatic fringe. It has entered the mainstream. That means we look at desalt projects on a case-by-case basis, as we would any other legitimate water policy.¡±

¡¡¡¡As the technology continues to improve, experts say it¡¯ll fast become a solution not only for municipalities but for hotels and resorts, corporations, and, someday, homeowners. Privately held water-treatment outfit Matrix Water, based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is installing a desalination plant that will process 800,000 gallons of water per day for the new Emerald Bay Four Seasons Resort in the Bahamas. And the new U.S. Homeland Security Dept. is investigating ways of using reverse osmosis to protect the nation¡¯s water supply from bioterrorism.

¡¡¡¡31. Water conservation programs alone won¬ðt solve the problem in Southern California because           .

¡¡¡¡A. it is confronting an unprecedented drought in 108 years

¡¡¡¡B. private citizens are consuming a lot more water than before

¡¡¡¡C. it imports a large proportion of its water from other states

¡¡¡¡D. population in the cities of this area is always growing fast

¡¡¡¡32. The third paragraph is written to           .

¡¡¡¡A. discuss the cause of the decline of water supply

¡¡¡¡B. introduce a solution to the issue of water shortage

¡¡¡¡C. explain the way in which desalination develops

¡¡¡¡D. exemplify the different ways to solve the problem

¡¡¡¡33. Barry Nelson became a supporter of desalination owing to its           .

¡¡¡¡A. universal support among environmentalists

¡¡¡¡B. contribution to natural resources

¡¡¡¡C. low cost and little damage to environment

¡¡¡¡D. advantage to natural defense

¡¡¡¡34. Nelson¡¯s attitude towards desalination programs can best be described as one of           .

¡¡¡¡A. qualified approval B. unreserved support

¡¡¡¡C. slight indifference D. absolute pessimism

¡¡¡¡35. The expression ¡°reverse osmosis¡± most probably refers to           .

¡¡¡¡A. costal disruption B. technology

¡¡¡¡C. antiª²terrorism policies D. desalination

¡¡¡¡Text 4

¡¡¡¡We can learn a good deal about the nature of business by comparing it with poker. While both have a large element of chance, in the long run the winner is the man who plays with steady skill. In both games ultimate victory requires intimate knowledge of the rules, insight into the psychology of the other players, self-confidence, a considerable amount of self-discipline, and the ability to respond swiftly and effectively to opportunities provided by chance.

¡¡¡¡No one expects poker to be played on the ethical principles preached in churches. Poker has its special ethics, and here I am not referring to rules against cheating. The man who keeps an ace up his sleeve or who marks the cards is more than unethical; he is a crook, and can be punished as such¡ªkicked out of the game or, in the Old West, shot.

¡¡¡¡In contrast to the cheat, the unethical poker player is one who, while abiding by the letter of the rules, finds ways to put the other players at an unfair disadvantage. Perhaps he bothers them with loud talk. Or he tries to get them drunk. Ethical poker players frown on such tactics.

¡¡¡¡Poker¡¯s own brand of ethics is different from the ethical ideals of civilized human relationships. The game calls for distrust of the other fellow. It ignores the claim of friendship. Cunning deception and concealment of one¡¯s strength and intentions, not kindness and openheartedness, are vital in poker. No one thinks any the worse of poker on that account. And no one should think any the worse of the game of business because its standards of right and wrong differ from the prevailing traditions of morality in our society. That most businessmen are not indifferent to ethics in their private lives, everyone will agree. My point is that in their office lives they cease to be private citizens; they become game players who must be guided by a somewhat different set of ethical standards.

¡¡¡¡The point was forcefully made to me by a Midwestern executive who has given a good deal of thought to the question: ¡°So long as a businessman complies with the laws of the land and avoids telling harmful lies, he is ethical. If the law as written gives a man wide-open chance to make a killing, he would be a fool not to take advantage of it. If he doesn¡¯t, somebody else will. There is no obligation on him to stop and consider who is going to get hurt. If the law says he can do it, that¡¯s all the justification he needs. There is nothing unethical about that. It¡¯s just plain business sense.¡±

¡¡¡¡I think it is fair to sum up the prevailing attitude of businessmen on ethics as follows:

¡¡¡¡We live in what is probably the most competitive of the world¡¯s civilized societies. Our customs encourage a high degree of aggression in the individual¡¯s striving for success. Business is our main area of competition, and it has been made into a game of strategy. The basic rules of the game have been set by the government, which attempts to detect and punish business frauds. But as long as a company does not break the rules of the game set by law, it has the legal right to shape its strategy without reference to anything but its profits. Decisions in this area are, finally, decisions of strategy, not of ethics.

¡¡¡¡36. According to the author, one of the common features of poker winners is           .

¡¡¡¡A. a quick response to chances B. extensive knowledge of games

¡¡¡¡C. familiarity with the other players D. chancy response strategies

¡¡¡¡37. In terms of poker¡¯s ethics, the author believes that           .

¡¡¡¡A. a player who keeps an ace up his sleeve violates poker¡¯s ethics

¡¡¡¡B. it is unethical for a player not to annoy the other players with noise

¡¡¡¡C. a player who doesn¡¯t observe poker¡¯s special ethics can be punished

¡¡¡¡D. poker has its own type of ethics different than those of social morality

¡¡¡¡38. The fifth paragraph implies that           .

¡¡¡¡A. nothing should prevent a businessman from making big money legally

¡¡¡¡B. every businessman should give considerable thought to business ethics

¡¡¡¡C. law grants businessmen the right to hurt others when necessary

¡¡¡¡D. business sense simply approves anything unethical

¡¡¡¡39. It can be concluded from the passage that           .

¡¡¡¡A. companies may neglect laws when making their strategies

¡¡¡¡B. deceptions in business might be thought of as reasonable strategies

¡¡¡¡C. laws are especially tolerant of businessmen and their actions

¡¡¡¡D. business ethics can be applied to solve moral problems in society

¡¡¡¡40. The game ethics as described in the passage might apply to which of the following?

¡¡¡¡A. Medicine. B. Sports. C. Diplomacy. D. Finance.