问答题Many countries have, or are in the process of creating, their own "Silicon Valley". So far, none has as yet threatened the preeminence of the US prototype. What makes Silicon Valley such a unique entity? There are several crucial factors.First and foremost, it has the largest concentration of brilliant computer professionals and the best supporting services in the world, and easy access to world-class research institutions, like Stanford University, which continually nurtures would-be geniuses which the industry needs in order to move forward. Without these advantages, the Valley would be a different place.Secondly, it actively encourages, or even exalts, risk-taking. Hence, failure holds no terror and there is no stigma attached to a failed effort. On the contrary, they will try even harder next time round. Such never-say-die approach is the sine qua non for the ultimate triumph in entrepreneurship and technological breakthrough.A third decisive factor is the vital role of venture capitalists who willingly support promising start-ups with urgently needed initial capital to get them started. Some would even give failed entrepreneurs a second chance if convinced that a fresh concept might lead to eventual success.

考题 Electronic mail, or mail, as it is known to its many fans, has been around for over two decades. Typically, email systems support five basic functions, as described below.(41)refers to the process of creating messages and answers.(42)refers to moving messages from the originator to the recipient.(43)has to do with telling the originator what happened to the message. Was it rejected? Was it lost?(44)incoming message is needed. So people can read their email.(45) is the final step and concerns what the recipient does with the message after receiving it.A．CompositionB．TransferC．ReportingD．Displaying

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考题请阅读Passage 1。完成第小题。 Passage 1 African elephants have been slaughtered at alarming rate over the past decade, largely because they are the primary source of the world's ivory. Their population has been dwindled from 1.3 million in 1979 to just 625,000 today, and the rate of killing has been accelerating in recent years because many of the older, bigger tusked animals have already been destroyed. "The poachers now must kill times as many elephants to get the same quantity of ivory," explained Curtis Bohlen,Senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund. Though its record on the environment has been spotty so far, the government last week took the lead in a major conservation issue by imposing a ban on ivory imports into the US. The move came just four days after a consortium of conservation groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation International, called for that kind of action, and it made the US the first nation to forbid imports of both raw and finished ivory. The ban, says Bohlen, sends a very clear message to the ivory poachers that the game is over. In the past African nations have resisted an ivory ban, but increasingly they realized that the decimation of the elephant herds poses a serious threat to their tourist business. Last month Tanzania and several other African countries called for an amendment to the 102 nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would make the ivory trade illegal worldwide. The amendment is expected to be approved at an October meeting in Geneva and to go into effect next January. But between now and then, conservationists contend, poachers may go on a rampage,killing elephants wholesale, so nations should unilaterally forbid imports right away. The US government brought that argument, and by week's end the twelve nations European Community had followed with its own ban. What's the author's attitude? 查看材料 A．Subjective. B．Neutral. C．Pessimistic. D．Active.

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考题请阅读Passage 1。完成第小题。 Passage 1 African elephants have been slaughtered at alarming rate over the past decade, largely because they are the primary source of the world's ivory. Their population has been dwindled from 1.3 million in 1979 to just 625,000 today, and the rate of killing has been accelerating in recent years because many of the older, bigger tusked animals have already been destroyed. "The poachers now must kill times as many elephants to get the same quantity of ivory," explained Curtis Bohlen,Senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund. Though its record on the environment has been spotty so far, the government last week took the lead in a major conservation issue by imposing a ban on ivory imports into the US. The move came just four days after a consortium of conservation groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation International, called for that kind of action, and it made the US the first nation to forbid imports of both raw and finished ivory. The ban, says Bohlen, sends a very clear message to the ivory poachers that the game is over. In the past African nations have resisted an ivory ban, but increasingly they realized that the decimation of the elephant herds poses a serious threat to their tourist business. Last month Tanzania and several other African countries called for an amendment to the 102 nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would make the ivory trade illegal worldwide. The amendment is expected to be approved at an October meeting in Geneva and to go into effect next January. But between now and then, conservationists contend, poachers may go on a rampage,killing elephants wholesale, so nations should unilaterally forbid imports right away. The US government brought that argument, and by week's end the twelve nations European Community had followed with its own ban. Since many of the older, bigger-tusked animals have already been destroyed, what did the poacher do? 查看材料 A．They gave up poaching. B．They killed more elephants to get the same quantity of ivory.. C．To them, game is over. D．They realized it was illegal to slaughter elephants.

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考题共用题干第一篇Human EvolutionBeing a man has always been dangerous.There are about 105 males born for every 100 females, but this ratio drops to near balance at the age of maturity,and among 70-year-old there are twice as many women as men. But the great universal of male mortality is being changed.Now,boy babies survive almost as well as girls do. This means that,for the first time,there will be an excess of boys in those crucial years when they are searching for a mate. More important,another chance for natural selection has been removed. Fifty years ago,the chance of a baby(particularly a boy baby)surviving depended on its weight. A kilogram too light or too heavy meant almost certain death.Today it makes almost no difference.Since much of the variation is due to genes,one more agent of evolution has gone.There is another way to commit evolutionary suicide:stay alive,but have fewer children.Few people are as fertile as in the past. Except in some religious communities,very few women have 15 children.Nowadays the number of births,like the age of death,has become average.Most of us have roughly the same number of offspring. Again,differences between people and the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it have diminished.India shows what is happening. The country offers wealth for a few in the great cities and poverty for the remaining tribal peoples.The grand mediocrity of today一everyone being the same in survival and number of offspring means that natural selection has lost 80%of its power in upper-middle一class India compared to the tribes.For us,this means that evolution is over;the biological Utopia has arrived.Strangely,it has involved little physical change.No other species fills so many places in nature.But in the past 100,000 years一even the past 100 years一our lives have been transformed but our bodies have not. We did not evolve,because machines and society did it for us.Darwin had a phrase to describe those ignorant of evolution:"they look at an organic being as savage looks at a ship,as at something wholly beyond his comprehension."No doubt we will remember a 20th century way of life beyond comprehension for its ugliness. But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were,they will look just like us.What does the example of India illustrate?A:Wealthy people tend to have fewer children than poor people.B:Natural selection hardly works among the rich and the poor.C:The middle class population is 80%smaller than that of the tribes.D:India is one of the countries with a very high birth rate.

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考题共用题干第一篇Human EvolutionBeing a man has always been dangerous.There are about 105 males born for every 100 females, but this ratio drops to near balance at the age of maturity,and among 70-year-old there are twice as many women as men. But the great universal of male mortality is being changed.Now,boy babies survive almost as well as girls do. This means that,for the first time,there will be an excess of boys in those crucial years when they are searching for a mate. More important,another chance for natural selection has been removed. Fifty years ago,the chance of a baby(particularly a boy baby)surviving depended on its weight. A kilogram too light or too heavy meant almost certain death.Today it makes almost no difference.Since much of the variation is due to genes,one more agent of evolution has gone.There is another way to commit evolutionary suicide:stay alive,but have fewer children.Few people are as fertile as in the past. Except in some religious communities,very few women have 15 children.Nowadays the number of births,like the age of death,has become average.Most of us have roughly the same number of offspring. Again,differences between people and the opportunity for natural selection to take advantage of it have diminished.India shows what is happening. The country offers wealth for a few in the great cities and poverty for the remaining tribal peoples.The grand mediocrity of today一everyone being the same in survival and number of offspring means that natural selection has lost 80%of its power in upper-middle一class India compared to the tribes.For us,this means that evolution is over;the biological Utopia has arrived.Strangely,it has involved little physical change.No other species fills so many places in nature.But in the past 100,000 years一even the past 100 years一our lives have been transformed but our bodies have not. We did not evolve,because machines and society did it for us.Darwin had a phrase to describe those ignorant of evolution:"they look at an organic being as savage looks at a ship,as at something wholly beyond his comprehension."No doubt we will remember a 20th century way of life beyond comprehension for its ugliness. But however amazed our descendants may be at how far from Utopia we were,they will look just like us.What does the last sentence mean?A:It means that we are still very far from Utopia.B:It means that our descendants look like us because of little biological change.C:It means that our descendants will not reach Utopia either.D:None of the above.

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考题 Robert F.Kennedy once said that a country’s GDP measures“everything except that which makes life worthwhile.”With Britain voting to leave the European Union,and GDP already predicted to slow as a result,it is now a timely moment to assess what he was referring to.The question of GDP and its usefulness has annoyed policymakers for over half a century.Many argue that it is a flawed concept.It measures things that do not matter and miss things that do.By most recent measures,the UK’s GDP has been the envy of the Western World,with record low unemployment and high growth figures.If everything was going so so well,then why did over 17million people vote for Brexit,despite the warnings about what it could do to their country’s economic prospects?A recent annual study of countries and their ability to convert growth into well-being sheds some light on that question.Across the 163 countries measured,the UK is one of the poorest performers in ensuring that economic growth is translated into meaningful improvement for its citizens.Rather than just focusing on GDR over 40 different sets of criteria from health,education and civil society engagement have been measured to get a more rounded assessment of how countries are performing.While all of these countries face their own challenges,there are a number of consistent themes.Yes,there has been a budding economic recovery since the 2008 global crash,but in key indicators in areas such as health and education,major economies have continued to decline.Yet this isn't the case with all countries.Some relatively poor European countries have seen huge improvements across measures including civil society;income equality and the environment.This is a lesson that rich countries can learn:When GDP is no longer regarded as the sole measure of a country’s success,the world looks very different.So what Kennedy was referring to was that while GDP has been the most common method for measuring the economic activity of nations,as a measure,it is no longer enough.It does not include important factors such as environmental equality or education outcomes-all things that contribute to a person's sense of well-being.The sharp hit to growth predicted around the world and in the UK could lead to a decline in the everyday services we depend on for our well-being and for growth.But policymaker who refocus efforts on improving well-being rather than simply worrying about GDP figures could avoid the forecasted doom and may even see progress. Which of the following is true about the recent annual study?A.It excludes GDP as an indicator. B.It is sponsored by 163 countries. C.Its criteria are questionable. D.Its results are enlightening.

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考题 African elephants have been slaughtered at alarming rate over the past decade, largely because they are the primary source of the world's ivory． Their population has been dwindled from 1．3 million in 1979 to just 625,000 today, and the rate of killing has been accelerating in recent years because many of the older, bigger tusked animals have already been destroyed． "The poachers now must kill times as many elephants to get the same quantity of ivory," explained Curtis Bohlen, Senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund． Though its record on the environment has been spotty so far, the government last week took the lead in a major conservation issue by imposing a ban on ivory imports into the US． The move came just four days after a consortium of conservation groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation International, called for that kind of action, and it made the US the first nation to forbid imports of both raw and finished ivory． The ban, says Bohlen, sends a very clear message to the ivory poachers that the game is over． In the past African nations have resisted an ivory ban, but increasingly they realized that the decimation of the elephant herds poses a serious threat to their tourist business． Last month Tanzania and several other African countries called for an amendment to the 102 nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would make the ivory trade illegal worldwide． The amendment is expected to be approved at an October meeting in Geneva and to go into effect next January． But between now and then, conservationists contend, poachers may go on a rampage, killing elephants wholesale, so nations should unilaterally forbid imports right away． The US government brought that argument, and by week's end the twelve nation European Community had followed with its own ban． What's the author's attitude?A. Subjective B. Neutral C. Pessimistic D. Activ

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考题 African elephants have been slaughtered at alarming rate over the past decade, largely because they are the primary source of the world's ivory． Their population has been dwindled from 1．3 million in 1979 to just 625,000 today, and the rate of killing has been accelerating in recent years because many of the older, bigger tusked animals have already been destroyed． "The poachers now must kill times as many elephants to get the same quantity of ivory," explained Curtis Bohlen, Senior vice president of the World Wildlife Fund． Though its record on the environment has been spotty so far, the government last week took the lead in a major conservation issue by imposing a ban on ivory imports into the US． The move came just four days after a consortium of conservation groups, including the World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation International, called for that kind of action, and it made the US the first nation to forbid imports of both raw and finished ivory． The ban, says Bohlen, sends a very clear message to the ivory poachers that the game is over． In the past African nations have resisted an ivory ban, but increasingly they realized that the decimation of the elephant herds poses a serious threat to their tourist business． Last month Tanzania and several other African countries called for an amendment to the 102 nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species that would make the ivory trade illegal worldwide． The amendment is expected to be approved at an October meeting in Geneva and to go into effect next January． But between now and then, conservationists contend, poachers may go on a rampage, killing elephants wholesale, so nations should unilaterally forbid imports right away． The US government brought that argument, and by week's end the twelve nation European Community had followed with its own ban． According to the passage, "dwindle" means______A. decrease B. enlarge C. weaken D. eliminate

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考题 Planning so far ahead___________no sense, because many things will have changed by nextyear.A.made B.is making C.makes D.has made

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考题 The discovery of the strange stone in the deserted valley has spurred series of scientific research.A:encouraged B:endangered C:endorsed D:enlarged

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考题共用题干 Better Solar Energy Systems: More Heat, More LightSolar photovoltaic thermal energy systems,or PVTs,generate both heat and electricity,but until now they haven't been very good at the heat-generating part compared to a stand-alone solar thermal collector. That's because they operate at low temperatures to cool crystalline silicon solar cells,which lets the silicon generate more electricity but isn't a very efficient way to gather heat.That's a problem of economics. Good solar hot-water systems can harvest much more energy than a solar-electric system at a substantially lower cost. And it's also a space problem:photovol-taic cells can take up all the space on the roof,leaving little room for thermal applications.In a pair of studies,Joshua Pearce,an associate professor of materials science and engineer-ing,has devised a solution in the form of a better PVT made with a different kind of silicon.His research collaborators are Kunal Girotra from Thin Silicon in California and Michael Pathak and Stephen Harrison from Queen's University,Canada.Most solar panels are made with crystalline silicon,but you can also make solar cells out of amorphous silicon,commonly known as thin-film silicon.They don't create as much electricity, but they are lighter,flexible,and cheaper. And,because they require much less silicon,they have a greener footprint. Unfortunately,thin-film silicon solar cells are vulnerable to some bad-news physics in the form of the Staebler-Wronski effect."That means that their efficiency drops when you expose them to light-pretty much the worst possible effect for a solar cell,"Pearce explains,which is one of the reasons thin-film solar panels make up only a small fraction of the market.However,Pearce and his team found a way to engineer around the Staebler-Wronski effect by incorporating thin-film silicon in a new type of PVT. You don't have to cool down thin-film silicon to make it work.In fact,Pearce's group discovered that by heating it to solar-thermal operating temperatures,near the boiling point of water,they could make thicker cells that largely overcame the Staebler-Wronski effect. When they applied the thin-fulm silicon directly to a solar thermal en-ergy collector,they also found that by baking the cell once a day,they boosted the solar cell's e-lectrical efficiency by over 10 percent. PVTs are not efficient in______.A:.creating electricityB: cooling silicon solar cellsC: generating heatD: powering solar thermal collectors

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考题共用题干 Better Solar Energy Systems: More Heat, More LightSolar photovoltaic thermal energy systems,or PVTs,generate both heat and electricity,but until now they haven't been very good at the heat-generating part compared to a stand-alone solar thermal collector. That's because they operate at low temperatures to cool crystalline silicon solar cells,which lets the silicon generate more electricity but isn't a very efficient way to gather heat.That's a problem of economics. Good solar hot-water systems can harvest much more energy than a solar-electric system at a substantially lower cost. And it's also a space problem:photovol-taic cells can take up all the space on the roof,leaving little room for thermal applications.In a pair of studies,Joshua Pearce,an associate professor of materials science and engineer-ing,has devised a solution in the form of a better PVT made with a different kind of silicon.His research collaborators are Kunal Girotra from Thin Silicon in California and Michael Pathak and Stephen Harrison from Queen's University,Canada.Most solar panels are made with crystalline silicon,but you can also make solar cells out of amorphous silicon,commonly known as thin-film silicon.They don't create as much electricity, but they are lighter,flexible,and cheaper. And,because they require much less silicon,they have a greener footprint. Unfortunately,thin-film silicon solar cells are vulnerable to some bad-news physics in the form of the Staebler-Wronski effect."That means that their efficiency drops when you expose them to light-pretty much the worst possible effect for a solar cell,"Pearce explains,which is one of the reasons thin-film solar panels make up only a small fraction of the market.However,Pearce and his team found a way to engineer around the Staebler-Wronski effect by incorporating thin-film silicon in a new type of PVT. You don't have to cool down thin-film silicon to make it work.In fact,Pearce's group discovered that by heating it to solar-thermal operating temperatures,near the boiling point of water,they could make thicker cells that largely overcame the Staebler-Wronski effect. When they applied the thin-fulm silicon directly to a solar thermal en-ergy collector,they also found that by baking the cell once a day,they boosted the solar cell's e-lectrical efficiency by over 10 percent. Which of the following statrnents is true?A: Thin-film silicon's electrical efficiency improves when heated up.B: New techniques have been developed to produce thin-film silicon.C: Thin-film silicon works efficiently at low temperature.D: A new material enlarging the Staebler-WronsKi effect has been created.

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考题汉译英：“花茶；碳化硅”，正确的翻译为（　　）。 A.scented tea：silicon carbide B.silicon carbide：scented tea C.scented tea：salted cucumber D.salted cucumber；silicon carbide

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考题 Many seasoned tourists find they don't like staying in hotels,and that they prefer to avoid large cities．Does this description fit you?If the answer is yes,The Mountain View Camping Ground is for you．Our camping grounds overlook the spectacular Hampson Valley．We rent tents,bungalows and roulettes．If DIY yourself is your style brings your own tents or roulettes．All guests enjoy access to cooking facilities,bathrooms with bathing facilities,and a playground for the children. Our panoramic setting offers a wide variety of recreation activities as well as inspiring views of the mountains．Chisom,a quaint summer-resort village,is just 10 minutes by car．Take advantage of the many entertainment,shopping and relaxation opportunities including fitness centres,laundry/valet services,solariums and much more．Have lunch in one of the many restaurants and savor the tasty local cuisine. Mountain View Camping Ground offers fun,relaxation and opportunities for all types of outdoor activities．Call us today to find out how we can make your next holiday perfect. What does Valley View offer besides the inspiring views?A.Laundry/valet service B.A fitness centr C.Recreation activitie D.Cooking facilitie

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考题 Compared with other areas of our social lives,we tend to boast far more on social media.For instance,few of us will stand on a neighborhood corner and declare how accomplished we are or how much we love our spouse.On Facebook,however,we have no uneasiness about routinely posting photographs of intimate family gatherings,foreign vacations,and fancy meals.What's more,many of us share boasts with hundreds or even thousands of social media connections,with little knowledge or concern about who's seeing them or what effect it has on them.Despite the risk of negative effects,we can't help boasting on social media because,as psychologists have argued,boasting satisfies fundamental human motives of creating a favorable first impression with strangers,and building a positive image among those who know us.In our vast social media spheres,boasting is also a good way,or even possibly the only way,to attract attention.

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考题　　A.Tobacco stocks also perked up as investors discounted fears of litigation(诉讼) from the US 　　B. So far，109 countries have signed it, and 12 have ratified it. 　　C. The impact of the treaty could be huge. 　　D. Countries that ratify(批准) it would be required to enact strict tobacco control policies. 　　E.The treaty calls for higher tobacco taxes, restrictions on smoking in public places, and more promotion of tobacco prevention and cessation programs. 　　F. The Senate must still approve the treaty before the US can implement its provisions.

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考题 Silicon Valley has been hailed as a symbol of creativity and success.A:published B:challenged C:acclaimed D:guided

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考题根据以下材料，回答题 He works ten hours a day, makes more thanUS $ 98000 a year, doesn′t 16 to take holidays, dresses 17 he pleases. He′s 18 been happier and is looking foranother job. This 33-year-old white, university-educated person is the typical Internetworker, according to a study by the Industry Standard, a San Francisco-basednews magazine. There is also a reasonable chance that hisemployer will arrange his dry cleaning,19 him to 20 his dog to work, offer him fleemassages and give him stock options. And he still thinks people in other 21are doing 22. The typical worker, it appears, not onlyenjoys an income about 23 the national average but also enjoys himself.At present 2.5 million people 24 by Internet firms in the US, The 25 ofthe study give plenty of reasons 26 so many people think the grass isgreener in Silicon Valley. 27 after tech-stoeks sharply 28 in April,29 many start-ups, there is still mood of enthusiasmand special advantage among those still employed. So what 30 52 percent of them "veryhappy" "Demandingwork" is given as the main reason and "salary" is 31 close 32 . Those questioned in the study also listedworking weekends and 33 holidays as signs of the pleasure of theworkplaces. Only 13 percent were paid for 34hours work while 14 percent put more than 12 hours work on an average day."It wasn′t all about 35." wrote Mary Ann Thompson in theintroduction to the study, "It was fun." A.have B.lead C.bring D.push

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考题根据以下材料，回答题 He works ten hours a day, makes more thanUS $ 98000 a year, doesn′t 16 to take holidays, dresses 17 he pleases. He′s 18 been happier and is looking foranother job. This 33-year-old white, university-educated person is the typical Internetworker, according to a study by the Industry Standard, a San Francisco-basednews magazine. There is also a reasonable chance that hisemployer will arrange his dry cleaning,19 him to 20 his dog to work, offer him fleemassages and give him stock options. And he still thinks people in other 21are doing 22. The typical worker, it appears, not onlyenjoys an income about 23 the national average but also enjoys himself.At present 2.5 million people 24 by Internet firms in the US, The 25 ofthe study give plenty of reasons 26 so many people think the grass isgreener in Silicon Valley. 27 after tech-stoeks sharply 28 in April,29 many start-ups, there is still mood of enthusiasmand special advantage among those still employed. So what 30 52 percent of them "veryhappy" "Demandingwork" is given as the main reason and "salary" is 31 close 32 . Those questioned in the study also listedworking weekends and 33 holidays as signs of the pleasure of theworkplaces. Only 13 percent were paid for 34hours work while 14 percent put more than 12 hours work on an average day."It wasn′t all about 35." wrote Mary Ann Thompson in theintroduction to the study, "It was fun." A.concepts B.results C.process D.purposes

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考题根据以下材料，回答题 He works ten hours a day, makes more thanUS $ 98000 a year, doesn′t 16 to take holidays, dresses 17 he pleases. He′s 18 been happier and is looking foranother job. This 33-year-old white, university-educated person is the typical Internetworker, according to a study by the Industry Standard, a San Francisco-basednews magazine. There is also a reasonable chance that hisemployer will arrange his dry cleaning,19 him to 20 his dog to work, offer him fleemassages and give him stock options. And he still thinks people in other 21are doing 22. The typical worker, it appears, not onlyenjoys an income about 23 the national average but also enjoys himself.At present 2.5 million people 24 by Internet firms in the US, The 25 ofthe study give plenty of reasons 26 so many people think the grass isgreener in Silicon Valley. 27 after tech-stoeks sharply 28 in April,29 many start-ups, there is still mood of enthusiasmand special advantage among those still employed. So what 30 52 percent of them "veryhappy" "Demandingwork" is given as the main reason and "salary" is 31 close 32 . Those questioned in the study also listedworking weekends and 33 holidays as signs of the pleasure of theworkplaces. Only 13 percent were paid for 34hours work while 14 percent put more than 12 hours work on an average day."It wasn′t all about 35." wrote Mary Ann Thompson in theintroduction to the study, "It was fun." A.makes B.takes C.gives D.forces

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考题 So far the construction of the two new bridges over the river （）.A、have been completedB、has been completedC、has completedD、have completed

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考题 For best packet switching performance with crypto, what is the recommend packet switching path in a Cisco Teleworker Router?（）A、Process SwitchingB、Silicon Switching C、Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) SwitchingD、Autonomous Switching

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考题问答题Passage 1　　Britain is still home to some of the world’s best scientists—but when it comes to giving them the money to turn their ideas into world-beating companies we are third-rate. True?　　“That’s gulf,” is the impatient response of Anne Glover, a leading venture capitalist.　　She believes this is the best time since the short-lived dot corn bubble for anyone looking to get their idea funded: “It’s never been better, except during the boom for a short nine-month period.”　　Not from the perspective of Noah Freedman, who has tried to get venture capital firms interested in Ionscope, a firm using world-leading science from Imperial College and Cambridge University. “I don’t think the situation has improved in the UK over the last decade,” he says.　　But Anne Glover, whose venture capital firm Amadeus Capital has backed businesses such as lastminute, corn, Cambridge Silicon Radio and Plastic Logic, points to the figures.　　Last year ￡lbn of venture capital money was invested in young firms in the UK—that’s more than a third of all the money invested across Europe.　　“We get beaten up all the time,” says Ms Glover, “but which other sector has as big a share of the European market?”　　And just as in other industries there are fashions in venture capital. What’s hot right now? Mobile technology, semi-conductors, and consumer internet firms, according to Amadeus—rather similar to what was getting funded during the last booming 2000.　　That ended with a bust which sawn many start-ups disappear and “was followed by several years in which venture capitalists seemed to have gone into hiding. But Anne Glover says they’ve come through the experience stronger.　　“The ones who have survived the boom and bust are experienced and well-funded and have similar global aspirations to the best entrepreneurs.”　　But Noah Freedman, an entrepreneur who was previously involved in Brainspark, an incubator for technology start-ups, says there is still a funding gap.　　Ionscope, which makes very high resolution microscopes, was not able to raise venture capital until it had sold its first products. “The bottom line is that in the UK, it may be easy to get venture capital money to fund growth of an established concept or business, but it is exceptionally difficult to get seed and start-up money for real innovation.”　　Anne Glover says the real problem is a lack of ambition, from both investors and entrepreneurs.　　“We maybe spread our money too thinly rather than concentrate on the best ideas. When we’ve got a world-leading company that’s the point where we need to finance it properly.”　　She says she spends more time trying to raise the ambitions of start-up firms rather than lower them.　　So what’s the lesson from those who have made it? Alex van Someren is one entrepreneur who did raise the money to create a successful global business.　　His Cambridge-based internet security company Ncipher raised venture capital money between 1996 and 2000, and then floated just in the nick of time before the stock market crash.　　He believes we are making progress: “Both investors and the people they invest in have become much more sophisticated.” He says the problem is not a lack of money or ideas. “There is plenty of both—but ideas are not the same as investable businesses.”　　But he says young companies are now more likely to turn to business angels—often people who have built their own firms—rather than venture capitalists: “Angels have done it themselves, so they bring more added value—and they’re willing to invest in businesses too small for venture funds to look at.”　　What Britain doesn’t have—despite attempts to brand Cambridge as Silicon Fen—is one area that can compete with Silicon Valley as a place which produces innovative businesses and the investors to fund them.　　But Anne Glover says we shouldn’t get hung up on the comparison: “You would find the same inferiority complex in Indiana or Wisconsin—Silicon Valley is unique. It’s difficult to raise venture capital anywhere in the world. Entrepreneurship is hard and don’t expect it to be easy.”　　The good news is that, when it comes to innovation, Britain has a growing number of entrepreneurs who have been there and done that.　　Many are now starting new firms or investing in other start-ups. Their only fear is that the latest boom in technology investment could melt away like the last one.　　1. Briefly describe the last boom.　　2. What advantages have the companies which survived last boom got?　　3. What is the difference on capital choice for young companies between the last boom and this latest one? Why?

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考题问答题What makes Silicon Valley such a unique entity? There are several crucial factors. First and foremost, it has the largest concentration of brilliant computer professionals and the best supporting services in the world, and easy access to world-class research institutions, like Stanford University, which continually nurtures would be geniuses which the industry needs in order to move forward. Without these advantages, the Valley would be a different place. Secondly, it actively encourages, or even exalts, risk-taking. Hence, failure holds no terror and there is no stigma attached to a failed effort. On the contrary, they will try even harder next time round. A third decisive factor is the vital role of venture capitalists who willingly support promising start-ups with urgently needed initial capital to get them started. Some would even give failed entrepreneurs a second chance if convinced that a flesh concept might lead to eventual success. Of equal importance, many bright young people and middle level professionals are keen to work for a new venture at substantially reduced remuneration, as it offers more scope for entrepreneurship and job satisfaction than the established companies.

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考题单选题According to the speaker, ______ .A the Japanese imported industrial silicon for breast implants after World War II.B the invading forces sold silicon to Japanese women working in factories.C plastic surgery is also very popular with women in Western countries.D Asian women undergoing plastic surgery are eager to emigrate to the US.

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考题问答题Practice 2　　Many matters, however, are less easily brought to the test of experience. If, like most of mankind, you have strong convictions on many such matters, there are ways in which you can make yourself aware of your own prejudices. If an opinion contrary to your own makes you angry, that is a sign that you subconsciously are aware of having no good reason for thinking as you do. If someone maintains that two and two are five, or that Iceland is on the equator you feel pity rather than anger, unless you know so little of arithmetic or geography that his opinion shakes your own contrary conviction. The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there is no good evidence either way. So whenever you find yourself getting angry about difference of opinion, be on your guard; you will probably find, on examination that your belief is going beyond what the evidence justifies.　　For those who have enough psychological imagination, it is a good plan to imagine an argument with a person having a different opinion. This has one advantage, and only one, as compared with actual conversation with opponents: this one advantage is that the method is not subject to the same limitations of time and space. Mahatma Gandhi considered it unfortunate to have railways and steamboats and machinery; he would have liked to undo the whole of the industrial revolution. You may never have an opportunity of actually meeting anyone who holds his opinion, because in Western countries most people take the advantage of modern technology for granted. But if you want to make sure that you are right in agreeing with the prevailing opinion, you will find it a good plan to test the arguments that occur to you by considering what Gandhi might have said in refutation of them. I have sometimes been led actually to change my mind as a result of this kind of imaginary dialogue. Furthermore, I have frequently found myself growing more agreeable through realizing the possible reasonableness of a hypothetical opponent.

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考题问答题China has the greatest population in the world and a large pool of research workers, yet it has not produced a single Nobel Prize winner so far. What has caused this situation in your opinion? State your opinion in about 160 words, and write it on the answer sheet.

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考题问答题Many countries have, or are in the process of creating, their own Silicon Valley. So far, none has as yet threatened the preeminence of the US prototype. What makes Silicon Valley such a unique entity? There are several crucial factors.First and foremost, it has the largest concentration of brilliant computer professionals and the best supporting services in the world, and easy access to world-class research institutions, like Stanford University, which continually nurtures would-be geniuses which the industry needs in order to move forward. Without these advantages, the Valley would be a different place.Secondly, it actively encourages, or even exalts, risk-taking. Hence, failure holds no terror and there is no stigma attached to a failed effort. On the contrary, they will try even harder next time round. Such never-say-die approach is the sine qua non for the ultimate triumph in entrepreneurship and technological breakthrough.A third decisive factor is the vital role of venture capitalists who willingly support promising start-ups with urgently needed initial capital to get them started. Some would even give failed entrepreneurs a second chance if convinced that a fresh concept might lead to eventual success.

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