What is expected of the unemployment rate in urban areas for this year What is expected of the unemployment rate in urban areas for this year

What is expected of the unemployment rate in urban areas for this year?

Applicants for this company have to be informed of the demands peculiar to the job.

A．specific

B．queer

C．special

D．universal

Despite improvements in treatment for asthma, the death rate from this disease has doubled during the past decade from its previous rate. Two possible explanations for this increase have been offered. First, the recording of deaths due to asthma has become more widespread and accurate in the past decade than it had been previously. Second, there has been an increase in urban pollution. However, since the rate of deaths due to asthma has increased dramatically even in cities with long-standing, comprehensive medical records and with little or no urban pollution, one must instead conclude that the cause of increased deaths is the use of bronchial inhalers by asthma sufferers to relieve their symptoms. Each of the following, if true, provides support to the argument EXCEPT:

A．Urban populations have doubled in the past decade.

B．Records of asthma deaths are as accurate for the past twenty years as for the past ten years.

C．Evidence suggests that bronchial inhalers make the lungs more sensitive to irritation by airborne pollen.

D．By tem|X)rarily relieving the symptoms of asthma, inhalers encourage sufferers to avoid more beneficial measures.

E．Ten years ago bronchial inhalers were not available as an asthma treatment.

What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To show concerns for the feasibility of the fishing limits.

B．To worry about the future of commercial and recreational fishers.

C．To show the difficulties of the formulation of fishing limits.

D．To make criticisms for the fishing limit policy.

The hotel will be in a tight comer this year unless the newly launched project ______ miracle.

A．is working

B．works

C．will be working

D．worked

What is the 'biggest city in the world? That is, (21) city has the largest population? This seems like (22) question to answer, but actually it isn't.

It's actually rather difficult to say which cities (23) the largest. There are two reasons for this difficulty. First of all, it isn't easy to determine a city's boundaries, that is, where a city ends. Nowadays, nearly all cities have a large (24) area around them. So when we talk about the population of a city, we often mean the population of the whole metropolitan area around the city. That means that it's difficult to determine what the population of a city is because it's difficult to define what a city is.

The second reason that it is difficult to 25 the population of different cities is this: it is almost impossible to get (26) about the population of all cities for the same year. For example, we might get an estimate of New York's population in 1979 and an (27) of Mexico City's population in 1981. So we real ly can't compare the numbers because the information is for (28) different years. And the population of cities changes rather quickly, especially in some cases. For example, the population of Jakarta, Indonesia, may increase by 5% each year, so the population figure will change rather quickly.

So we can say that these are our two (29) for comparing the populations of cities: one, it's difficult to determine the (30) of a city, and two, it is difficult to get accurate information.

21. A. what

B. which

C. where

D. how

What is the 'biggest city in the world? That is,【21】city has the largest population? This seems like【22】question to answer, but actually it isn't.

It's actually rather difficult to say which cities【23】the largest. There are two reasons for this difficulty. First of all, it isn't easy to determine a city's boundaries, that is, where a city ends. Nowadays, nearly all cities have a large【24】area around them. So when we talk about the population of a city, we often mean the population of the whole metropolitan area around the city. That means that it's difficult to determine what the population of a city is because it's difficult to define what a city is.

The second reason that it is difficult to【25】the population of different cities is this: it is almost impossible to get【26】about the population of all cities for the same year. For example, we might get an estimate of New York's population in 1979 and an【27】of Mexico City's population in 1981. So we real ly can't compare the numbers because the information is for【28】different years. And the population of cities changes rather quickly, especially in some cases. For example, the population of Jakarta, Indonesia, may increase by 5% each year, so the population figure will change rather quickly.

So we can say that these are our two【29】for comparing the populations of cities: one, it's difficult to determine the【30】of a city, and two, it is difficult to get accurate information.

(46)

A．what

B．which

C．where

D．how

The recovery of the US economy during the first quarter of this year has been so spectacular that it is creating a new set of risks for financial markets. The great new risks now facing the US economy center on monetary policy and the oil market. The current federal funds interest rate of only 1.75 percent has clearly become unsustainable in view of the economy's resilience. The Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by at least 0.25 percentage points during the second quarter and could increase short-term interest rates to at least 3 percent before the antumn-the level they were at before September 11.

Such tightening would probably cause refinancing to slump to about ＄300 billion at annual rates late this year, which would eliminate capital gains as a prop for consumer spending. Rising interest rates could also damp the rally likely to occur in the equity market as corporate profits recover. If investment spending fails to revive, the economy's annual growth rate could slide back to the 2～3 percent.

The oil price is also a big risk, mainly because the Bush administration appears determined to attack Iraq. The probability of war could easily push the oil price back into the ＄35～＄40 a barrel range for at least a few months. In effect, that would impose a big new tax on consumer spending and corporate profits. The prospect of monetary tightening and a sharp increase in the oil price suggests that late 2002 and early 2003 could be a period of great volatility for the US economy.

听力原文：W: Mr. Green, what do you think of the economic forecasts for next year? For example, what will happen to housing costs?

M: Well, there's good news for buyers. Prices won't increase. In fact, they'll fall slightly. There are different reasons for this. One is that it won't be so easy to borrow money. A second reason is that there are still a lot of empty new houses on the market.

W: I see. And what about food prices? Will they fall too?

M: I'm afraid not. You see, inflation will increase, so consumer prices will rise too. I think we can expect a 3% rise in prices.

W: Some economists say that unemployment will rise. Are you one of these people?

M: No, I'm not. I think it'll decrease. Trade with other countries has improved dramatically over the past year. And the increase in demand for goods means that there will be more jobs.

W: Well, if unemployment falls, can we expect wages to fall too?

M: No, no. The average wage will increase. Not very much, I'm afraid, but there will be a slight increase.

W: One financial question, Mr. Green. What will happen to petrol prices? Will they increase or decrease next year?

M: That's a very difficult question to answer because we don't know what'll happen in the oil producing countries. I have a feeling that prices will go down. However, I could be wrong!

W: Mr. Green, thank you very much for your time.

M: My pleasure.

(20)

A．Housing costs.

B．Average wage.

C．Unemployment.

D．Oil prices.