Name? Major? What do you like most of your major?

这个不用说了吧！

Do you think your company should use hi-tech?

Yes! Using hi-tech will improve quality, save energy, and enhance productivity! Also, technology like video conference system will save time and money as well.

Which benefit do you like most?

这个可以参考教材的相关内容！

Should part-time and full-time employees receive same benefits, why/why not?

No. Full-time employees should get better benefits because they devote more in their jobs and rely heavily on it. It’s unfair if everybody gets same benefits and it is bad for encouraging hard-working people.

Would like to have higher salary or more benefits?

各抒己见！

What do you think if a staff works in the same company for long time? Is it good or bad?

It is good. He will know the company very well and achieve high-performance skillfully and easily. It is also in the company’s interest as well, because staff turnover and training cost will be greatly reduced.

How do you think having a good relationship with other fellow colleague?

It is good. Good relationship with colleague means a lot, such high efficiency, good mood at work, smooth cooperation and good teamwork.

BEC计算机化考试（CB BEC）简介

    经教育部考试中心与剑桥大学考试委员会协商，将于2008年在成都、北京、上海、广州、杭州和武汉6个城市举办两次计算机化BEC考试，具体考试时间分别为9月27日和11月2日，考试级别为BEC中高级。

    计算机化BEC考试将在由剑桥大学考试委员会最新搭建的Connect System平台上实施。考前试题通过互联网由剑桥大学考试委员会的服务器传输到考点的管理站上，考生通过考点的局域网络在计算机上考试，考试结束后，考生的答案通过互联网传回剑桥大学考试委员会。

    考试的阅读、写作和听力部分为机考形式，要求参加机考的考生具备英文打字能力。网考的时间长度、题型、试题数量与纸笔考试完全一致。口语仍将采用考官与考生面对面的形式。

    BEC网考与BEC纸笔考试除考试方法不同外，考试效能完全相同，证书也与纸笔考试等值。

    机考将与纸笔考试长期并行，目前每年举办两次纸笔考试的安排不变。     欲报考计算机化BEC考试的考生可与下列考点联系咨询：

BEC网考成都考点——考试信息

第一次考试

第二次考试

报名方法

考生须亲自报名，恕不接受代报。
考生需携带：
①居民身份证原件
②一寸照片一张（黑白彩色均可）
③圆珠笔和铅笔（填报名表用）
④考费：￥460
请参阅： 《BEC报名表样表》

美国亚裔学生最多的院校

美国本科国际学生最多的院校

分学科排名（5）

分学科排名（4）

分学科排名（3）

分学科排名（2）

分学科排名（1）

托福基础 Complete Test 2范文

页码：497

The listening challenges the reading through presenting results concerning sixth grade testing system in Hamilton School District (HSD).

First, the reading states that HSD expected the social promotion program would end. But the lecturer says that it had not ended. Because students were still socially-promoted, when they were behind in earlier grades. This is the first point where results contradict expectation.

Second, the lecture claims that there are as many unprepared students as before the sixth grade testing system. Since weak students were allowed to proceed without tests until they were found they were not capable to continue. In the reading, high expectations was given on better preparing students in high school. Clearly, the listening refutes the reading.

Third, according to the listening material, drop-out rate is actually raised after implementing the sixth grade testing system. Without regular tests, it would be too late to find out some students are lagged behind, who may have to spend one or more years to pass the final test. While the passage expects more students would graduate from high school. This is the third divergence presented in this set of materials.

(188 words)

 金融专业：

金融工程专业

市场营销专业

GRE写作分类高频机经

科技类

159.”The human mind will always be superior to machines because machines are only tools of human minds.” 人总是比机器聪明，因为机器只不过是人类的工具而已

30"The primary goal of technological advancement should be to increase people's efficiency so that everyone has more leisure time." 技术进步的最主要的目标就是提高人们的效率，使得每个人都有更多的闲暇时间

88"Technologies not only influence but actually determine social customs and ethics." 科学技术不但影响而且决定了社会风俗和民族习惯

196."Technology creates more problems than it solves, and may threaten or damage the quality of life." 科学技术产生了许多不能解决的问题，对人们的生活质量构成威胁

138"Only through mistakes can there be discovery or progress." 不犯错误就不会有发现和进步

7."The video camera provides such an accurate and convincing record of contemporary life that it has become a more important form of documentation than written records." 摄像机可以通过如此精确而有力的纪录手段来再现当代生活，因此它已经代替书面纪录成为一种更重要的纪录手段

151."High-speed electronic communications media, such as electronic mail and television, tend to prevent meaningful and thoughtful communication."

38"In the age of television, reading books is not as important as it once was. People can learn as much by watching television as they can by reading books." 在电视机时代，阅读书籍已经没有原来那样重要了。人们从电视上学到的东西丝毫不比从书本中学来的少

150."Because of television and worldwide computer connections, people can now become familiar with a great many places that they have never visited. As a result, tourism will soon become obsolete." 通过电视和全世界联网的计算机，人们得以了解很多他们没有去过的地方。所以，旅游事业会越来越不景气

116."With the growth of global networks in such areas as economics and communication, there is no doubt that every aspect of society—including education, politics, the arts, and the sciences—will benefit greatly from international influences." 随着全球网络的增长，如经济和通讯，整个社会的各方各面，包括教育、政治、艺术和科学，都从中获益非浅

历史类

36"The greatness of individuals can be decided only by those who live after them, not by their contemporaries."  只有后来人评价以前的人，而不应该同时代的人相互评价

110."When we concern ourselves with the study of history, we become storytellers. Because we can never know the past directly but must construct it by interpreting evidence, exploring history is more of a creative enterprise than it is an objective pursuit. All historians are storytellers." 当我们把自己和历史关联起来时，我们变成了讲故事的人。因为我们无从知道过去发生的事情，但是又必须要把她们表述出来，所以历史研究是一个非常有创造性的领域，而并非一个客观的过程。所有的历史学家都是讲故事的人(storyteller)

203. "The best way to understand the character of a society is to examine the character of the men and women that the society chooses as its heroes or its heroines."  理解一个社会特征的最好的方法就是研究那个社会所认为的伟大人物

48"The study of history places too much emphasis on individuals. The most significant events and trends in history were made possible not by the famous few, but by groups of people whose identities have long been forgotten."  对历史的研究把太多的重点放在对某些个人上。而历史上一些重大的事件和发展趋势不是由个别名人决定的，而可能是由那些已经被人们淡忘的人制造的

26"Most people would agree that buildings represent a valuable record of any society's past, but controversy arises when old buildings stand on ground that modern planners feel could be better used for modern purposes. In such situations, modern development should be given precedence over the preservation of historic buildings so that contemporary needs can be served."  很多人认为建筑代表了一个社会过去的历史价值，但是当现代城市的规划者想要利用老建筑占用的地盘做新的规划时，就会引起很多争辩。在这样的情况下，现代的发展应该优先被考虑，以使当代的需要得到满足。

54"History teaches us only one thing: knowing about the past cannot help people to make important decisions today."

120."So much is new and complex today that looking back for an understanding of the past provides little guidance for living in the present." 现在的生活日新月异，对过去的研究学习没有实际的指导意义

103."The study of history has value only to the extent that it is relevant to our daily lives." 只有当历史和我们的生活相关时，对它的研究才有扩展性和价值

社会类

72."One can best understand the most important characteristics of a society by studying its major cities." 一个人要想真正了解一个社会的最大的特点，只用研究一下它的主要城市即可

10"Governments must ensure that their major cities receive the financial support they need in order to thrive, because it is primarily in cities that a nation's cultural traditions are preserved and generated." 政府必须保证主要城市用于发展的财政支持，因为国家的文化传统发源于并保留在这些主要城市

207."Rituals and ceremonies help define a culture. Without them, societies or groups of people have a diminished sense of who they are." 典礼和仪式有助于给一种文化下定义。没有典礼和仪式，人们就无法很好地了解自己。

208."The way people look, dress, and act reveals their attitudes and interests. You can tell much about a society's ideas and values by observing the appearance and behavior of its people." 人们的外表、衣着和行动表现了他们的态度和兴趣。你可以通过观察人们的外表和行为来获知这个社会的想法和价值

121. At various times in the geological past, many species have become extinct as a result of natural, rather than human, processes. Thus, there is no justification for society to make extraordinary efforts, especially at a great cost in money and jobs, to save endangered species." 在过去不同的时期，很多物种的灭绝都是自然因素造成，而并非人类行为。所以，现在我们花费很大的人力物力去拯救濒临灭绝的物种是没有多少价值的

83"Government should preserve publicly owned wilderness areas in their natural state, even though these areas are often extremely remote and thus accessible to only a few people." 政府应该保护那些疆域范围内的偏远地区，尽管这些地区人烟稀少

142."The well-being of a society is enhanced when many of its people question authority." 142．当很多人都质疑权威时候社会才会繁荣富强。

180."Many problems of modem society cannot be solved by laws and the legal system because moral behavior cannot be legislated." 现代社会的许多问题是法律和司法系统不能解决的，因为立法不能左右人的道德行为。

17"There are two types of laws: just and unjust. Every individual in a society has a responsibility to obey just laws and, even more importantly, to disobey and resist unjust laws." 有两种法律：公平的和不公平的。社会中的每个人都应该遵守公平的法律，更重要的是，应该不遵守或者违抗不公平的法律

174."Laws should not be stationary and fixed. Instead, they should be flexible enough to take account of various circumstances, times, and places."  法律不应该太严格、太固定。他们应该根据实际情况而有伸缩性

185."Scandals—whether in politics, academia, or other areas—can be useful. They focus our attention on problems in ways that no speaker or reformer ever could."  丑闻，不管是政治、学术还是其他领域，可能是有用的。它们能吸引人们的注意力，而这点，是任何发言人和改革家都办不到的（传媒）

29"Public figures such as actors, politicians, and athletes should expect people to be interested in their private lives. When they seek a public role, they should expect that they will lose at least some of their privacy."  公众人物，例如演员、政治家和运动员应该预料到人们对他们私生活的关注。当他们决定成为公众角色时，他们应该知道自己的一些隐私将被公布于众（媒体）

161."'In this age of intensive media coverage, it is no longer possible for a society to regard any woman or man as a hero. The reputation of anyone who is subjected to media scrutiny will eventually be diminished."

在媒体覆盖率很大的当今社会，人们不可能把一个人当作英雄。任何有威望的人在媒体强烈的“关注”下都会名声扫地。

OK113. "It is primarily through identification through social groups that we define ourselves."  我们定义自己，最主要是通过我们对社会集体的参与和认识来实现的。（一个孤立的人只有参与到社会集体中去，才能够定义自己。）

197. "The material progress and well-being of one country are necessarily connected to the material progress and well-being of all other countries." 一个国家的生活质量提高和社会的安定是和其他所有国家的生活质量提高和社会安定密不可分的。

195-"The goal of politics should not be the pursuit of an ideal, but rather the search for common ground and reasonable consensus." 政治的目标不应该是追求一个理想，而是寻找普遍合理的大多数人的意见

160."The most essential quality of an effective leader is the ability to remain consistently committed to particular principles and objectives. Any leader who is quickly and easily influenced by shifts in popular opinion will accomplish little." 一个好的领导最主要的品质就是对某些特定原则和目标的坚持。任何领导，如果他很容易受到大众化观点的影响，那他就一事无成。

OK108."In many countries it is now possible to turn on the television and view government at work. Watching these proceedings can help people understand the issues that affect their lives. The more kinds of government proceedings - trials, debates, meetings, etc. - that are televised, the more society will benefit." 在很多国家，人们一打开电视就能看到政府人员办公的场景。观看这样的场景有助于人们理解影响他们生活的决议。政府办公的过程，如日常事物、辩论、会议等，向人们开放得越多，人们就越能从中受益

OK147."Tradition and modernization are incompatible. One must choose between them." 传统和现代是不相容的。人们必须在二者之间做出选择。

70."In any profession—business, politics, education, government—those in power should step down after five years. The surest path to success for any enterprise is revitalization through new leadership."  在任何领域，商业、政治、教育、政府，掌权者应该在5年任期后下台。对任何公司企业来说，取得成功最保险的途径就是聘用新生的人担当领导

41"Such nonmainstream areas of inquiry as astrology, fortune-telling, and psychic and paranormal pursuits play a vital role in society by satisfying human needs that are not addressed by mainstream science." 一些非主流的领域，如占星、算命以及偏执在社会中扮演着非常重要的角色，它们满足了人们的那些主流科学满足不了的需要

给ETS的原始信（gre-info@ets.org）：

To whom it may concern

I'm a GRE test-taker from China. I sat the GRE Split exam on Nov 06 2007.

My paper GRE admission ticket on June 07, 2008 is not received yet.

Could you please send a electronic copy to me simply by replying to this email address?

My GRE information:
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Split Test Date:2007-11-06; Test Time:13:00
Test Center: Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China 
The paper test is only XXX days away. Thank you for your soonest reply!

ETS 的回信：

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Dear XXX,  
Regarding your inquiry: 
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 TEST: GRE
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 Paper-Based Session of Split General Test
 DATE: JUNE 7, 20078 
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ADD: FOREIGN TESTING CENTER
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GMAT B8

“Because it is in the best interest of a society to promote integrity and moral behavior, governments should censor television and radio programs for offensive language and behavior.”

In this media-rich era, TV and radio programs cover massive population and affect myriad neighborhoods. Governments tend to conduct censorship over their contents with the excuse of protecting public interest. Somebody claims that censorship is helpful for protecting children and teenagers, enhancing social integrity and maintaining healthy social style. However, on the basis of overall consideration, this statement can not be easily accepted.

First, what language and behavior are offensive is controversial (open to controversial opinions). For example, some notions and all their manifestations presented by a few public-affair-loving tax payers, which are considered decent by involvers, unfortunately, may be conversely entitled / labeled “offensiveness” by governments. What is even worse, these so-called “offensive” behavior may only annoy some limited number of senior public servants, who played unspeakable roles in the complained events. Obviously, in a society where authority could freely judge media, a few officials could contain (suppress) un-listenable and unfavorable speech like a naughty Chihuahua.

Second, no matter entity or individual, governmental censorship may likely violate free speech spirit, abuse public power and counter democracy. Extremists, as they looked like, frequent “trouble-makers” have kind motivations, which aim at speaking for the public loud and clear. If governments act strictly against these good-will behaviors, governmental credibility will be harmed.

Third, governments are strengthful and dominant in social activities.  In current democratic atmosphere, a wise regime should be aware that performing both the judge and the athlete simultaneously is stupid. The censorship should be handled by NGOs with good reputations. What government should do is to appraise NGOs and to re-adjust problematic contents.

In conclusion, governments should treat radio and TV programs precautiously. Only by proper handling of this issue, government could maximize public interest truly.

B1. The primary responsibility of citizens is to obey their nation’s civil and criminal laws. 

B2. Although most people wish to live long lives, attempting to significantly extend the average human life span would be a mistake. If achieved, this would place an enormous burden on resources, lowering the quality of life for everyone.

B3. Lying should be avoided primarily because it harms people's ability to live togther in society.

B4. Each generation's culture achievements--such as those in music, art ，or literature--represent improvements on the cultural achievements of previous generations.

B5. Public figures should avoid expressing opinions about things that they have not personally experienced or been directly affected by.

B6. The increasing popularity of video games and Internet suggests that consumers now want a more interactive entertainment experience than books, movies, and television can provide.

B7. Only by traveling outside the country of one's birth can one understand the world and its people.

B8. Because it is in the best interest of a society to promote integrity and moral behavior, governments should censor television and radio programs for offensive language and behavior.

B9. Despite the violence and stereotypes present in many popular forms of entertainment created for children (such as books, movies, and video games), we should still allow children to experience this kind of entertainment.

B10. Portrayals of violence have proven commercially successful in television programs, movies, songs, and other forms of popular entertainment. Therefore, those who create popular entertainment should continue to incorporate violence into their products.

新题库中已经删除，但仍可能出现的A字头的题目：

1. “Whether in politics or in business, leaders of any group need to understand that learning to compromise is ultimately more important than winning.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A2. “Constant innovation and change within an organization are as likely to damage the organization as they are to improve it.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A3. “Government should place stricter limits on the ability of businesses to invade citizens’ privacy through telemarketing, E-mail, advertising, collection of personal information on consumers, and so on, even if those limits affect businesses’ profitability and competitiveness.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A4. “Companies should recruit and reward employees more for their enthusiasm and willingness to contribute to the mission of the organization than for their knowledge and skills.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A5. “Previous failure in some enterprise is essential if one is to become a successful leader.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A6. “The type of leadership that an organization needs (be it a college, a country, or a business, for example) depends largely on whether the organization is stable or in crisis.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A7. “Highly skilled employees who are ambitious, self-motivated, and self-sufficient are more likely to be harmful than beneficial in an organization based on teamwork.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A8. “An explicit and enforced set of values is crucial to the success of any company or other type of organization.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A9.“An organization cannot make real progress unless all its members share a common set of values rather than make decisions that are guided by their own values and beliefs.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A10. “In today’s rapidly and unpredictably changing world, attempting to learn from the past is no longer the wisest strategy.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A11. “The most important quality for a leader of an organization to have is not the ability to plan, to organize, and to solve problems but rather the ability to communicate the organization’s mission and to inspire people to work toward fulfilling that mission.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your position with reasons and/or examples from your experience, observations, or reading.

A12. “Because technology has increased the speed of communication, people are less able to communicate, except on the most superficial level.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A13. “Employers can best motivate employees not through raises and bonuses but rather by offering non-monetary highly-publicized awards for high performance (e.g., employee-of-the-month awards, special parking spaces, personal letters from management, etc.).”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A14. “The most successful structure for any business is one that is clearly hierarchical with clearly defined roles for all levels of employee.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A15. “Employers can get the best performance from employees by praising what they do well rather than criticizing what they do badly.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A16. “One must rely on oneself, and not on others, to progress in life both personally and professionally.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A17. “In retaining and promoting employees, companies should favor those who accept the system as it is over those who want to make changes in the workplace.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A18. “To be successful, a business must align its goals to the goals of the country.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A19. “Progress depends on those who refuse to conform and who actively resist the status quo.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A20. “People starting out in a career should set their sights on the position they ultimately want to reach and then begin immediately working toward that goal.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A21. “Companies should encourage competition among their own employees.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A22. “The quality and character of a nation can best be seen in its leaders.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A23. “Employers should base employees’ salary increases solely on the measurable outcomes of their work and not the less tangible aspects of their performance.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A24. “No matter how unselfish an action may appear, it is almost always motivated by some type of self-interest.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A25. “Businesses should grant all employees the opportunity to move into management-level positions.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A26. “Individual comfort and security will be greatly increased when electronic surveillance cameras are continuously operating in all public areas.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A27. “Opinion polls and other forms of surveys are greatly overused and often meaningless.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A28. “In most businesses, revising and updating old ideas and methods produces better results than creating and implementing new ones.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A29. “Employees who display any antisocial behavior toward their coworkers should be immediately dismissed.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A30. “Business executives deserve full credit for all successes in their company.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A31. “Managers should not promote or even retain employees who repeatedly express dissatisfaction with their jobs.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A32. “A company is not responsible for motivating employees; instead, motivation is the employee’s own responsibility.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A33. “To be truly successful, companies should require all managers to spend one month per year in nonmanagerial positions.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A34. “An employee should not publicize a company’s ethical violations if doing so could harm the company.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A35. “Companies should never hire or promote employees on the basis of family relationships, friendships, or other social connections.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A36. “A manager should function primarily as an advocate for the employees whom he or she supervises.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A37. “Each year, a company should identify and fire the lowest-performing members of its workforce.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A38. “Companies should not have the right to fire employees for behavior outside the workplace.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A39. “In difficult economic times, companies should substantially reward the best-performing employees rather than give small raises and bonuses to all employees.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A40. “To encourage successful cooperation and collaboration among employees, companies should give salary raises and bonuses to teams rather than to individuals.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A41. “Employees committed to their own personal success usually make the most contributions to a company’s success.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A42. “In general, the best managers are those who trust their employees to work on their own without close monitoring.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

A43. “People are more effectively motivated by myths and symbols than by logic and reasons.”

Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the opinion stated above. Support your views with reasons and/or examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

211. The following appeared in the editorial section of a student newspaper.

"In a recent survey, most students who were studying beginning Russian gave higher course-evaluation ratings to classes taught by non-native Russian speakers than to classes taught by native Russian speakers. The reason that the non-native speakers were better teachers of Russian is easy to see: the non-native speakers learned Russian later in life themselves, and so they have a better understanding of how the language can be taught effectively. Therefore, in order to improve instruction for all languages and also save money, our university should hire non-native speakers as language instructors instead of trying to find and recruit native speakers."

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212. The following article appeared in a recent issue of a college newspaper.

"Among all students who graduated from Hooper University over the past five years, more physical science majors than social science majors found permanent jobs within a year of graduation. In a survey of recent Hooper University graduates, most physical science majors said they believed that the prestige of Hooper University's physical science programs helped them significantly in finding a job. In contrast, social science majors who found permanent employment attributed their success to their own personal initiative. Therefore, to ensure that social science majors find permanent jobs, Hooper University should offer additional social science courses and hire several new faculty members who already have national reputations in the social sciences."

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213. The following appeared as an editorial in one of Coleville's city newspapers.

"Even though a high percentage of Coleville City's businesses failed last year, we who live in Coleville City should keep in mind the fact that the Coleville region has attracted a great many new businesses over the last three years. It is well known that new businesses are, on average, much more likely to fail than are long-established ones, so the business failures should not be considered a sign of poor economic health. Indeed, many analysts regard the presence of a significant number of new companies among a region's businesses as a sign of economic health. Thus Coleville City appears to be in good, not poor, economic shape."

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214. The following appeared in a corporate planning memo at ABC Cereal Company, the makers of Better Bran cereal.

"Sales of Better Bran have declined in recent years, for reasons that management has now identified. First, Better Bran is a cereal with high sugar content, and recent research studies have found that most consumers say they are concerned about the amount of sugar added to their breakfast cereal. Second, the price of Better Bran has increased by 5 percent in each of the last three years. Therefore, to increase our company's profits we need to reduce the amount of sugar in Better Bran and lower Better Bran's price."

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215. The following appeared as part of a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.

"During her three years in office, Governor Riedeburg has shown herself to be a worthy leader. Since she took office, crime has decreased, the number of jobs created per year has doubled, and the number of people choosing to live in our state has increased. These trends are likely to continue if she is reelected. In addition, Ms. Riedeburg has promised to take steps to keep big companies here, thereby providing jobs for any new residents. Anyone who looks at Ms. Riedeburg's record can tell that she is the best-qualified candidate for governor."

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216. The following appeared as part of a memo from the manager of an automobile manufacturing company.

"Because the demand for our automobiles is expected to increase dramatically, we need to open a new manufacturing plant as soon as possible in order to continue to thrive. Our marketing projections indicate that 80 million people will want to buy our automobiles, yet our existing plant can only produce 40 million automobiles. The new plant can be opened on a part-time basis, with workers from our existing site rotating responsibilities, until an operational staff can be trained. A major airplane manufacturer was extremely successful using this part-time rotating strategy when it opened its new plant five years ago."

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217. The following appeared as an editorial in a local newspaper.

"In order to attract visitors to Central Plaza downtown and to return the plaza to its former glory, the city should prohibit skateboarding there and instead allow skateboarders to use an area in Monroe Park. At Central Plaza, skateboard users are about the only people one sees now, and litter and defaced property have made the plaza unattractive. In a recent survey of downtown merchants, the majority supported a prohibition on skateboarding in the plaza. Clearly, banning skateboarding in Central Plaza will make the area a place where people can congregate for fun or for relaxation."

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218. The following appeared in a newsletter from a political organization.

"In order to promote economic growth in the city, city residents should vote 'yes' on the state government's proposal to build a new expressway linking the outlying suburbs directly to the city center. A direct link to the city center will enable downtown businesses to receive deliveries more frequently, so that downtown retailers will no longer run out of stock and city manufacturers will not be affected by shortages of materials. Booming businesses will attract qualified workers from all over the state, workers who will be able to take advantage of the new expressway to commute to work in our city. In addition to these advantages, hundreds of workers will be employed to build the expressway, further stimulating the local economy!"

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219. The following appeared as part of a memo from the manager of a hazardous-waste disposal company.

"Our new plan will help us better protect our staff against exposure to toxic chemicals: we are fitting each new safety suit with an alarm that will sound in the main control booth when the suit is punctured. The control booth will notify the managers on duty, who will then take the necessary steps to ensure employees' safety. In addition to the obvious safety-related benefits, the fast reaction time will ensure minimal work stoppage and thus result in increased worker productivity and company profitability."

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220. The following appeared in a recommendation from the planning department of the city of Transopolis.

"Ten years ago, as part of a comprehensive urban renewal program, the city of Transopolis adapted for industrial use a large area of severely substandard housing near the freeway. Subsequently, several factories were constructed there, crime rates in the area declined, and property tax revenues for the entire city increased. To further revitalize the city, we should now take similar action in a declining residential area on the opposite side of the city. Since some houses and apartments in existing nearby neighborhoods are currently unoccupied, alternate housing for those displaced by this action will be readily available."

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221. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a local newspaper.

"The members of the town school board should not be reelected because they are not concerned about promoting high-quality education in the arts in our local schools. For example, student participation in the high school drama club has been declining steadily, and this year the school board refused to renew the contract of the drama director, even though he had received many awards for his original plays. Meanwhile, over $300,000 of the high school budget goes to athletic programs, and the head football coach is now the highest-paid member of the teaching staff."

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222. The following appeared in a memo from the sales manager of Eco-Power, a company that manufactures tools and home appliances.

"Many popular radio and television commercials use memorable tunes and song lyrics to call attention to the products being advertised. Indeed, a recent study of high school students showed that 85 percent could easily recognize the tunes used to advertise leading soft drinks and fast-food restaurants. Despite our company's extensive advertising in magazines during the past year, sales of our home appliances declined. Therefore, to boost company profits, we should now switch to advertisements featuring a distinctive song."

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223. The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of a company that builds shopping malls throughout the country.

"The surface of a section of Route 101, paved two years ago by McAdam Road Builders, is now badly cracked and marred by dangerous potholes. In another part of the state, a section of Route 66, paved by Appian Roadways more than four years ago, is still in good condition. Appian Roadways has recently purchased state-of-the-art paving machinery, and it has hired a new quality-control manager. Because of its superior work and commitment to quality, we should contract with Appian Roadways rather than McAdam Road Builders to construct the access roads for all our new shopping malls."

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224. The following appeared in a newspaper feature story.

"There is now evidence that the relaxed manner of living in small towns promotes better health and greater longevity than does the hectic pace of life in big cities. Businesses in the small town of Leeville report fewer days of sick leave taken by individual workers than do businesses in the nearby large city of Mason City. Furthermore, Leeville has only one physician for its one thousand residents, but in Mason City the proportion of physicians to residents is five times as high. And the average age of Leeville residents is significantly higher than that of Mason City residents. These findings suggest that people seeking longer and healthier lives should consider moving to small communities."

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225. The following appeared in a memorandum from the general manager of KNOW radio station.

"Several factors indicate that radio station KNOW should shift its programming from rock-and-roll music to a continuous news format. Consider, for example, the number of older people in our listening area has increased dramatically, while the total number of our listeners has recently declined. Also, music stores in our area report decreased sales of recorded music. Finally, continuous news stations in neighboring cities have been very successful, and a survey taken just before the recent election shows that local citizens are interested in becoming better informed about politics."

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226. The following appeared as a letter to the editor of a local Solano newspaper.

"The Solano school district should do away with its music education programs. After all, music programs are not especially popular in our schools: only 20 percent of our high school students participated in music programs last year. Furthermore, very few of the Solano district's college-bound students are interested in majoring in music at the university level. Also, when the school district of our neighboring town of Rutherford eliminated its music programs two years ago, the overall grade point average in the high school increased by 10 percent the next year. Surely the money spent on Solano music programs could be better used to improve the quality of traditional academic courses."

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227. The following appeared as part of an article in a local Beauville newspaper.

"According to a government report, last year the city of Dillton reduced its corporate tax rate by 15 percent; at the same time, it began offering relocation grants and favorable rates on city utilities to any company that would relocate to Dillton. Within 18 months, two manufacturing companies moved to Dillton, where they employ a total of 300 people. Therefore, the fastest way for Beauville to stimulate economic development and hence reduce unemployment is to provide tax incentives and other financial inducements that encourage private companies to relocate here."

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228. The following appeared in a memorandum from the president of Mira Vista College to the college's board of trustees.

"At nearby Green Mountain College, which has more business courses and more job counselors than does Mira Vista College, 90 percent of last year's graduating seniors had job offers from prospective employers. But at Mira Vista College last year, only 70 percent of the seniors who informed the placement office that they would be seeking employment had found full-time jobs within three months after graduation, and only half of these graduates were employed in their major field of study. To help Mira Vista's graduates find employment, we must offer more courses in business and computer technology and hire additional job counselors to help students with their resumès and interviewing skills."

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229. The following appeared as an editorial in the local newspaper of Dalton.

"When the neighboring town of Williamsville adopted a curfew four months ago that made it illegal for persons under the age of 18 to loiter or idle in public places after 10 p.m., youth crime in Williamsville dropped by 27 percent during curfew hours. In Williamsville's town square, the area where its citizens were once most outraged at the high crime rate, not a single crime has been reported since the curfew was introduced. Therefore, to help reduce its own rising crime rate, the town of Dalton should adopt the same kind of curfew. A curfew that keeps young people at home late at night will surely control juvenile delinquency and protect minors from becoming victims of crime."

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230. The following appeared in a memo written by a dean at Buckingham College.

"To serve the housing needs of our students, Buckingham College should build a new dormitory. Buckingham's enrollment is growing and, based on current trends, should double over the next fifty years, thus making existing dormitories inadequate. Moreover, the average rent for an apartment in our town has increased in recent years. Consequently, students will find it increasingly difficult to afford off-campus housing. Finally, an attractive new dormitory would make prospective students more likely to enroll at Buckingham."

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231. The following appeared in a memo at the XYZ company.

"When XYZ lays off employees, it pays Delany Personnel Firm to offer those employees assistance in creating resumès and developing interviewing skills, if they so desire. Laid-off employees have benefited greatly from Delany's services: last year those who used Delany found jobs much more quickly than did those who did not. Recently, it has been proposed that we use the less-expensive Walsh Personnel Firm in place of Delany. This would be a mistake because eight years ago, when XYZ was using Walsh, only half of the workers we laid off at that time found jobs within a year. Moreover, Delany is clearly superior, as evidenced by its bigger staff and larger number of branch offices. After all, last year Delany's clients took an average of six months to find jobs, whereas Walsh's clients took nine."

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232. The following appeared as an editorial in the student newspaper of Groveton College.

"Tocombat the recently reported dramatic rise in cheating among college and university students, these institutions should adopt honor codes similar to Groveton's, which calls for students to agree not to cheat in their academic endeavors and to notify a faculty member if they suspect that others have cheated. Groveton's honor code replaced an old-fashioned system in which students were closely monitored by teachers and an average of thirty cases of cheating per year were reported. The honor code has proven far more successful: in the first year it was in place, students reported twenty-one cases of cheating; five years later, this figure had dropped to fourteen. Moreover, in a recent survey conducted by the Groveton honor council, a majority of students said that they would be less likely to cheat with an honor code in place than without."

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233. The following appeared in a memorandum written by the vice president of Nature's Way, a chain of stores selling health food and other health-related products.

"Previous experience has shown that our stores are most profitable in areas where residents are highly concerned with leading healthy lives. We should therefore build our next new store in Plainsville, which has many such residents. Plainsville merchants report that sales of running shoes and exercise clothing are at all-time highs. The local health club, which nearly closed five years ago due to lack of business, has more members than ever, and the weight training and aerobics classes are always full. We can even anticipate a new generation of customers: Plainsville's schoolchildren are required to participate in a 'fitness for life' program, which emphasizes the benefits of regular exercise at an early age."

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234. The following appeared in a letter sent by a committee of homeowners from the Deerhaven Acres to all homeowners in Deerhaven Acres.

"Seven years ago, homeowners in nearby Brookville community adopted a set of restrictions on how the community's yards should be landscaped and what colors the exteriors of homes should be painted. Since then, average property values have tripled in Brookville. In order to raise property values in Deerhaven Acres, we should adopt our own set of restrictions on landscaping and housepainting."

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235. The following appeared in a newspaper article about law firms in the city of Megalopolis.

"In Megalopolis, the number of law school graduates who went to work for large, corporate firms declined by 15 percent over the last three years, whereas an increasing number of graduates took jobs at small, general practice firms. Even though large firms usually offer much higher salaries, law school graduates are choosing to work for the smaller firms most likely because they experience greater job satisfaction at smaller firms. In a survey of first-year students at a leading law school, most agreed with the statement that earning a high salary was less important to them than job satisfaction. This finding suggests that the large, corporate firms of Megalopolis will need to offer graduates more benefits and incentives and reduce the number of hours they must work."

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236. The following was posted on an Internet real estate discussion site.

"Of the two leading real estate firms in our town-Adams Realty and Fitch Realty-Adams is clearly superior. Adams has 40 real estate agents. In contrast, Fitch has 25, many of whom work only part-time. Moreover, Adams' revenue last year was twice as high as that of Fitch, and included home sales that averaged $168,000, compared to Fitch's $144,000. Homes listed with Adams sell faster as well: ten years ago, I listed my home with Fitch and it took more than four months to sell; last year, when I sold another home, I listed it with Adams, and it took only one month. Thus, if you want to sell your home quickly and at a good price, you should use Adams."

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237. The following appeared in the business section of a newspaper.

"Given that the number of people in our country with some form of arthritis is expected to rise from 40 million to 60 million over the next twenty years, pharmaceutical companies that produce drugs for the treatment of arthritis should be very profitable. Many analysts believe that in ten years Becton Pharmaceuticals, which makes Xenon, the best-selling drug treatment for arthritis, will be the most profitable pharmaceutical company. But the patent on Xenon expires in three years, and other companies will then be able to produce a cheaper version of the drug. Thus, it is more likely that in ten years the most profitable pharmaceutical company will be Perkins Pharmaceuticals, maker of a new drug called Xylan, which clinical studies show is preferred over Xenon by seven out of ten patients suffering from the most extreme cases of arthritis."

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238. The following was written as a part of an application for a small business loan by a group of developers in the city of Monroe.

"A jazz music club in Monroe would be a tremendously profitable enterprise. Currently, the nearest jazz club is 65 miles away; thus, our proposed club, the C Note, would have the local market all to itself. Plus, jazz is extremely popular in Monroe: over 100,000 people attended Monroe's jazz festival last summer, several well-known jazz musicians live in Monroe, and the highest-rated radio program in Monroe is 'Jazz Nightly,' which airs every weeknight. Finally, a nationwide study indicates that the typical jazz fan spends close to $1,000 per year on jazz entertainment. It is clear that the C Note cannot help but make money."

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239. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of the Clearview newspaper.

"In the next mayoral election, residents of Clearview should vote for Ann Green, who is a member of the Good Earth Coalition, rather than for Frank Braun, a member of the Clearview town council, because the current members are not protecting our environment. For example, during the past year the number of factories in Clearview has doubled, air pollution levels have increased, and the local hospital has treated 25 percent more patients with respiratory illnesses. If we elect Ann Green, the environmental problems in Clearview will certainly be solved."

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240. The following appeared in a memorandum issued by the strategic planning department at Omni Inc.

"Mesa Foods, a manufacturer of snack foods that currently markets its products within a relatively small region of the country, has strong growth potential. Mesa enjoyed a 20 percent increase in profits last year, and its best-selling product, Diabolique Salsa, has had increased sales over each of the past three years. Since Omni Inc. is interested in reaching 14-to-25 year olds, the age group that consumes the most snack food, we should buy Mesa Foods, and concentrate in particular on marketing Diabolique Salsa throughout the country."

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241. The following appeared in a memorandum from a dean at Omega University.

"Fifteen years ago, Omega University implemented a new procedure that encouraged students to evaluate the teaching effectiveness of all their professors. Since that time, Omega professors have begun to assign higher grades in their classes, and overall student grade averages at Omega have risen by thirty percent. Potential employers apparently believe the grades at Omega are inflated; this would explain why Omega graduates have not been as successful at getting jobs as have graduates from nearby Alpha University. To enable its graduates to secure better jobs, Omega University should now terminate student evaluation of professors."

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242. The following appeared in a letter to the editor of a Batavia newspaper.

"The department of agriculture in Batavia reports that the number of dairy farms throughout the country is now 25 percent greater than it was 10 years ago. During this same time period, however, the price of milk at the local Excello Food Market has increased from $1.50 to over $3.00 per gallon. To prevent farmers from continuing to receive excessive profits on an apparently increased supply of milk, the Batavia government should begin to regulate retail milk prices. Such regulation is necessary to ensure both lower prices and an adequate supply of milk for consumers."