1.CR
A new type of fish feed, which is more expensive than the commonly used meat-based feed, is predicted to become a bestseller in the market. The vegetable-based feed is known to be more nutritious and cheaper than the meat-based feed. However, fish farmers prefer the meat-based feed because fish find it more palatable and grow faster when fed with it. The new feed does not result in faster fish growth compared to the meat-based feed.
Which of the following, if true, best explains why the new type of fish feed is predicted to become a bestseller?
(A) The new feed is made from a combination of high-quality vegetables and a small portion of meat.
(B) The new type of feed significantly improves the quality of fish meat compared to meat-based feed, allowing fish farmers to sell their fish at a higher price.
(C) The new feed, when mixed with the vegetable-based feed, is highly palatable to fish.
(D) The meat-based feed is becoming increasingly expensive due to a shortage of supply.
(E) The new feed is more environmentally sustainable compared to the meat-based feed.
In an effort to improve public safety, City X imposed a tax on fireworks, citing their potential dangers. Following the implementation of the tax, fireworks sales in City X decreased significantly. The local authorities concluded that the tax had successfully protected the residents' safety.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the local authorities' conclusion?
(A) The decline in fireworks sales in City X was primarily due to a widespread public awareness campaign about fireworks safety.
(B) Despite the tax, fireworks sales in neighboring cities increased substantially during the same period.
(C) The tax on fireworks in City X was higher than that imposed in other cities in the region.
(D) The majority of fireworks-related accidents in City X involved fireworks purchased illegally from unauthorized dealers.
(E) Following the decline in fireworks sales, City X reported a decrease in noise complaints during the holiday season.
答案:
2.RC
WHAT'S all this fuss about income inequality? Sure, the richer are richer and the poor are eating Doritos. But not to worry, says W. Michael Cox and Richard Alm, researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas: Most Americans struggling to make ends meet are on the fast track to affluence.
They found that just 5 percent of a sample of Americans in the bottom fifth of the income distribution in 1975 were still there 16 years later. Meanwhile, 29 percent of them had managed to grab the brass ring, ending up in the top fifth. And "between opportunity and equality," they remind, "it's opportunity that matters most."
The Cox-Alm study, published in the Dallas Federal Reserve's 1995 annual report, is making big waves among the movers and shakers of the political right. Indeed, after a ringing endorsement from the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, it has become required reading for conservatives impatient with the current hand-wringing over the alleged plight of the young and immobile.
But a close look at the new research is not confidence-building. Indeed, even a casual look suggests that something -- actually, many things -- are amiss. "Cox and Alm ask the wrong question and give a misleading answer to the question they ask," argues Peter Gottschalk, an economist at Boston College and co-author of "America Unequal" (Russell Sage Foundation).
Standard measures of income distribution amount to snapshots at a moment in time. The large and growing variations between those at the top and bottom that have been reported by the Census are, of course, cause for disquiet. But liberals and conservatives generally agree that mobility matters, too. And without exception, studies that track the fortunes of individuals or families for many years suggest that lifetime income is distributed far more equally than income in any single year.
The Cox-Alm study is in this tradition. It follows 3,725 individuals ages 16 and over who remained part of the University of Michigan's Panel Survey on Income Dynamics for a 16-year period. And their conclusions are nothing short of remarkable. Of those in the bottom fifth in 1975, 95 percent were earning enough money in 1991 to have jumped in the rankings. Poverty in the 1975 snapshot was apparently no impediment to future economic success. The average income of individuals in the bottom fifth rose by $25,322, even after adjustment for inflation.
Mr. Gottschalk, however, notes that the Dallas researchers use unconventional means to reach these astonishing ends. For one thing, they measure incomes actually earned by individuals, rather than assigning individuals some prorated share of family income. As a result, the average earnings of the bottom fifth in 1975 was just $1,153 -- far less than anyone could actually live on.
Who, then, were these people? Probably not the poorest individuals, but the ones who worked only briefly in 1975. Mr. Gottschalk guesses most of them were part-time workers with marginal links to the formal labor force: students with after-school jobs, housewives who worked at the post office in the Christmas rush, and so forth.
Sixteen years later their average incomes had risen a fantastic 23-fold, to $26,475. To Mr. Gottschalk, this suggests that virtually all the former high school and college students in the sample had full-time jobs in 1991, as did most of the mothers whose children had grown up. "I'd be surprised if my teen-ager, who now earns pocket money delivering newspapers, doesn't do equally well," he allowed.
Mr. Gottschalk says, too, that by tracking individuals over time the Cox-Alm study mingles the impact of real economic mobility with income gains linked to accumulating work experience. It should hardly be surprising that 35-year-old carpenters make more than they did when they were 19-year-old carpenters.
What does all this add up to? "We have long known that mobility partially offsets the impact of inequality," says Van Doorn Ooms, director of research at the Committee for Economic Development. "It's still unclear by how much."
One answer that probably better represents the mainstream in economic research comes from Moshe Buchinsky and Jennifer Hunt of Yale University. In a paper published this year by the National Bureau of Economic Research, they estimated that averaging family incomes over a four-year period reduced measured inequality by about one-fourth. But they also found that the rate of economic mobility -- the probability of moving from one-fifth of the income distribution to another in any given year -- had actually fallen since 1980.
"Maybe it would make sense to spend less time splitting hairs over what's happened -- and more trying to figure out what can be done for the losers," Mr. Ooms concludes.
1. The passage primarily serves to:
(A) assess the validity of the Cox-Alm study in the context of existing research on income inequality
(B) highlight the significance of the Cox-Alm study in shaping conservative political discourse
(C) examine the methodological limitations of the Cox-Alm study and their implications for its findings
(D) compare and contrast the Cox-Alm study with other research on economic mobility and income inequality
(E) discuss the complexities of measuring income inequality and economic mobility and the need for further research
2. According to the passage, the Cox-Alm study's unconventional approach to measuring income involves:
(A) tracking the incomes of a large sample of individuals over a 16-year period
(B) assigning individuals a prorated share of their family's income
(C) focusing on the income earned by individuals rather than families
(D) adjusting for inflation when comparing incomes across different years
(E) considering the impact of accumulated work experience on income growth
3. Peter Gottschalk's critique of the Cox-Alm study suggests that the study's findings may be misleading because:
(A) the study's sample size was too small to be representative of the U.S. population
(B) the study failed to account for the impact of government assistance programs on income
(C) the study's focus on individual income failed to capture the true extent of poverty
(D) the study's time frame of 16 years was insufficient to accurately measure economic mobility
(E) the study's bottom quintile likely included many part-time workers and students with temporary low incomes
4. Based on the passage, which of the following statements about economic mobility is true?
(A) Economic mobility has increased significantly since 1980, according to the Cox-Alm study.
(B) Economic mobility has a more substantial impact on income inequality than suggested by the Cox-Alm study.
(C) Economic mobility has declined since 1980, as indicated by Buchinsky and Hunt's research.
(D) Economic mobility is more important than income inequality in determining overall economic well-being.
(E) Economic mobility is largely unaffected by changes in income inequality over time.
5. The passage suggests that the income gains observed in the Cox-Alm study are largely attributable to:
(A) the increased availability of high-paying jobs in the U.S. economy
(B) the impact of government policies designed to promote economic mobility
(C) the accumulation of work experience and the transition from part-time to full-time work
(D) the increased access to education and training programs for low-income individuals
(E) the overall growth of the U.S. economy during the period studied
6. According to the passage, Buchinsky and Hunt's research suggests that:
(A) income inequality has increased significantly since 1980
(B) economic mobility has a limited impact on reducing income inequality
(C) the probability of moving between income quintiles has decreased since 1980
(D) averaging family incomes over a four-year period eliminates income inequality
(E) the findings of the Cox-Alm study are consistent with their own research
7. The author of the passage would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
(A) The Cox-Alm study provides conclusive evidence that income inequality is not a significant problem in the U.S.
(B) The debate over income inequality and economic mobility is largely a matter of political ideology.
(C) Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between income inequality and economic mobility.
(D) The concerns raised about the Cox-Alm study's methodology are unwarranted and do not undermine its findings.
(E) Policymakers should prioritize promoting economic mobility over addressing income inequality.
8. Based on the passage, which of the following can be inferred about the relationship between income inequality and economic mobility?
(A) Economic mobility has a greater impact on reducing income inequality than suggested by most studies.
(B) Income inequality and economic mobility are largely independent phenomena with little influence on each other.
(C) The extent to which economic mobility offsets the impact of income inequality remains uncertain and requires further research.
(D) Increases in income inequality are typically accompanied by decreases in economic mobility over time.
(E) Policies aimed at reducing income inequality are likely to have a negative impact on economic mobility.
3.DI
Argentina, the second-largest country in South America, has long been a magnet for tourists seeking to explore its diverse and captivating landscapes, from the glacial peaks of Patagonia to the subtropical forests of Misiones. In 2019, the country welcomed an estimated 7.4 million international visitors, generating approximately $5.4 billion in revenue and accounting for nearly 10% of Argentina's GDP. However, this figure belies the complex and multifaceted nature of Argentina's tourism industry, which encompasses a wide range of sub-sectors, each with its own unique challenges and opportunities.
One of the most significant contributors to Argentina's tourism economy is the Iguazu Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site that straddles the border between Argentina and Brazil. The falls, which consist of 275 individual cascades spanning a 2.7-kilometer stretch of the Iguazu River, attract an estimated 1.5 million visitors annually, with 80% coming from outside Argentina. The economic impact of the Iguazu Falls is substantial, supporting an estimated 20,000 jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors and generating approximately $800 million in annual revenue for the surrounding region.
However, the Iguazu Falls are just one piece of Argentina's complex tourism puzzle. The capital city of Buenos Aires, often referred to as the "Paris of South America," is another key driver of the industry, attracting an estimated 3 million international visitors per year and generating approximately $2 billion in annual revenue. The city's tourism economy is highly diversified, with visitors drawn to its stunning architecture, vibrant cultural scene, and world-renowned gastronomy. However, the city's tourism industry also faces significant challenges, including overcrowding, infrastructure limitations, and the need to balance economic growth with the preservation of its cultural heritage.
Another important component of Argentina's tourism landscape is the country's extensive network of national parks and protected areas, which cover approximately 7% of its total land area. These parks, which range from the arid steppes of the Andean foothills to the lush wetlands of the Iberá Esteros, are home to an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, including iconic species such as the Andean condor, the jaguar, and the Antarctic fur seal. In recent years, ecotourism has emerged as a key growth area for Argentina's tourism industry, with an estimated 1 million visitors per year seeking out nature-based experiences in the country's protected areas.
However, the development of Argentina's ecotourism sector has not been without its challenges. Many of the country's national parks are located in remote and underdeveloped regions, with limited infrastructure and services for visitors. Additionally, the growth of ecotourism has raised concerns about the potential impact on fragile ecosystems and the need to ensure that local communities benefit from the economic opportunities generated by the industry.
To address these challenges, the Argentine government has launched a series of initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable tourism development and supporting the long-term growth of the industry. These include investments in infrastructure, such as the expansion of airports and the development of new tourist routes, as well as efforts to promote off-season travel and diversify the country's tourism offerings. The government has also implemented measures to protect the country's natural and cultural heritage, such as stricter regulations on development in ecologically sensitive areas and the promotion of responsible tourism practices.
Despite these efforts, Argentina's tourism industry remains vulnerable to a range of external factors, including economic instability, political uncertainty, and the impacts of climate change. In recent years, the country has experienced high inflation rates, currency fluctuations, and social unrest, which have deterred some international visitors and led to a decline in tourism revenue. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the industry, with international arrivals plummeting by an estimated 70% in 2020 and many businesses struggling to survive.
Looking forward, the future of Argentina's tourism industry will depend on its ability to adapt to these challenges and seize new opportunities for growth and development. This will require a coordinated effort by government, industry, and civil society to promote sustainable tourism practices, invest in infrastructure and services, and build resilience to external shocks. With the right policies and investments in place, however, Argentina has the potential to emerge as a global leader in sustainable tourism, leveraging its incredible natural and cultural assets to drive economic growth and support the well-being of its communities.
Questions
1. According to the passage, what percentage of Argentina's total land area is covered by national parks and protected areas?
A. 3%
B. 5%
C. 7%
D. 9%
2. Approximately how much annual revenue is generated by the region surrounding the Iguazu Falls?
A. $500 million
B. $650 million
C. $800 million
D. $950 million
3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an iconic species found in Argentina's national parks?
A. Andean condor
B. Jaguar
C. Antarctic fur seal
D. Pampas fox
4. According to the passage, what is the estimated number of visitors per year seeking nature-based experiences in Argentina's protected areas?
A. 500,000
B. 750,000
C. 1 million
D. 1.25 million
5. Which of the following challenges is mentioned in relation to the development of Argentina's ecotourism sector?
A. Limited infrastructure and services in remote regions
B. Potential impact on fragile ecosystems
C. Ensuring local communities benefit from economic opportunities
D. All of the above
6. According to the passage, what was the estimated decline in international arrivals to Argentina in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
A. 50%
B. 60%
C. 70%
D. 80%
7. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an external factor affecting Argentina's tourism industry?
A. Economic instability
B. Political uncertainty
C. Impacts of climate change
D. Fluctuations in global oil prices
8. The passage suggests that the future of Argentina's tourism industry will depend on its ability to:
A. Promote sustainable tourism practices
B. Invest in infrastructure and services
C. Build resilience to external shocks
D. All of the above
9. According to the passage, which of the following is a key growth area for Argentina's tourism industry in recent years?
A. Cultural heritage tourism
B. Adventure tourism
C. Ecotourism
D. Gastronomic tourism
10. The passage implies that Argentina has the potential to become a global leader in:
A. Mass tourism
B. Luxury tourism
C. Sustainable tourism
D. Business tourism
作者: 一次就過！ 时间: 2024-8-9 08:58
笔记一下
1. 由题目可以看出农夫更看重的是growth rate 而新品种的growth 不比meat 差 两者对差异在于价格（新>meat）和palatable （但题目没有明确说明到底新品种比较好还比较差）所以找一个可以跟让新品种在口感上赢过meat 的
2. 断桥类型 找出tax 跟safety 的关联性作者: faye1030 时间: 2024-8-9 09:44
CR1.B
2.C
错题分析：
前提：为预防潜在的危险，X城市对烟花征税。征税后，X城市的烟花销售下降明显；
结论：税成功保护了市民的安全
要削弱结论
(B) Despite the tax, fireworks sales in neighboring cities increased substantially during the same period.---尽管征税了，隔壁城市的烟花销售同期稳步增加---说明征税并没有影响销售，从而削弱论点
(C) The tax on fireworks in City X was higher than that imposed in other cities in the region.---城市C征收的税比其他城市要高。--也不知道怎么脑残选了这个？