英语阅读前10篇.docx
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英语阅读前10篇.docx
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英语阅读前10篇
1997
text1
Itwas3:
45inthemorningwhenthevotewasfinallytaken.Aftersixmonthsofarguingandfinal16hoursofhotparliamentarydebates,Australia’sNorthernTerritorybecamethefirstlegalauthorityintheworldtoallowdoctorstotakethelivesofincurablyillpatientswhowishtodie.Themeasurepassedbytheconvincingvoteof15to10.AlmostimmediatelywordflashedontheInternetandwaspickedup,halfaworldaway,byJohnHofsess,executivedirectoroftheRighttoDieSocietyofCanada.Hesentitonviathegroup’son-lineservice,DeathNET.SaysHofsess:
“Wepostedbulletinsalldaylong,becauseofcoursethisisn’tjustsomethingthathappenedinAustralia.It’sworldhistory.”
Thefullimportmaytakeawhiletosinkin.TheNTRightsoftheTerminallyIIIlawhasleftphysiciansandcitizensaliketryingtodealwithitsmoralandpracticalimplications.Somehavebreathedsighsofrelief,others,includingchurches,righttolifegroupsandtheAustralianMedicalAssociation,bitterlyattackedthebillandthehasteofitspassage.Butthetideisunlikelytoturnback.InAustralia--whereanagingpopulation,lifeextendingtechnologyandchangingcommunityattitudeshaveallplayedtheirpart--otherstatesaregoingtoconsidermakingasimilarlawtodealwitheuthanasia.IntheUSandCanada,wheretherighttodiemovementisgatheringstrength,observersarewaitingforthedominoestostartfalling.
UnderthenewNorthernTerritorylaw,anadultpatientcanrequestdeath--probablybyadeadlyinjectionorpill--toputanendtosuffering.Thepatientmustbediagnosedasterminallyillbytwodoctors.Aftera“coolingoff”periodofsevendays,thepatientcansignacertificateofrequest.After48hoursthewishfordeathcanbemet.ForLloydNickson,a54yearoldDarwinresidentsufferingfromlungcancer,theNTRightsofTerminallyIIIlawmeanshecangetonwithlivingwithoutthehauntingfearofhissuffering:
aterrifyingdeathfromhisbreathingcondition.“I’mnotafraidofdyingfromaspiritualpointofview,butwhatIwasafraidofwashowI’dgo,becauseI’vewatchedpeopledieinthehospitalfightingforoxygenandclawingattheirmasks,”hesays.
Text5
Muchofthelanguageusedtodescribemonetarypolicy,suchas“steeringtheeconomytoasoftlanding”or“atouchonthebrakes,”makesitsoundlikeaprecisescience.Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.Thelinkbetweeninterestratesandinflationisuncertain.Andtherearelong,variablelagsbeforepolicychangeshaveanyeffectontheeconomy.Hencetheanalogythatlikenstheconductofmonetarypolicytodrivingacarwithablackenedwindscreen,acrackedrearviewmirrorandafaultysteeringwheel.
Givenallthesedisadvantages,centralbankersseemtohavehadmuchtoboastaboutoflate.Averageinflationinthebigsevenindustrialeconomiesfelltoamere2.3%lastyear,closetoitslowestlevelin30years,beforerisingslightlyto2.5%thisJuly.Thisisalongwaybelowthedouble-digitrateswhichmanycountriesexperiencedinthe1970sandearly1980s.
Itisalsolessthanmostforecastershadpredicated.Inlate1994thepanelofeconomistswhichTheEconomistpollseachmonthsaidthatAmerica’sinflationratewouldaverage3.5%in1995.Infact,itfellto2.6%inAugust,andexpectedtoaverageonlyabout3%fortheyearasawhole.InBritainandJapaninflationisrunninghalfapercentagepointbelowtheratepredictedattheendoflastyear.Thisisnoflashinthepan;overthepastcoupleofyears,inflationhasbeenconsistentlylowerthanexpectedinBritainandAmerica.
EconomistshavebeenparticularlysurprisedbyfavorableinflationfiguresinBritainandtheUnitedStates,sinceconventionalmeasuressuggestthatbotheconomies,andespeciallyAmerica’s,havelittleproductiveslack.America’scapacityutilization,forexample,hithistoricallyhighlevelsearlierthisyear,anditsjoblessrate(5.6%inAugust)hasfallenbellowmostestimatesofthenaturalrateofunemployment--theratebelowwhichinflationhastakenoffinthepast.
Whyhasinflationprovedsomild?
Themostthrillingexplanationis,unfortunately,alittledefective.Someeconomistsarguethatpowerfulstructuralchangesintheworldhaveup-endedtheoldeconomicmodelsthatwerebaseduponthehistoricallinkbetweengrowthandinflation.
1999
Text2
InthefirstyearorsoofWebbusiness,mostoftheactionhasrevolvedaroundeffortstotaptheconsumermarket.Morerecently,astheWebprovedtobemorethanafashion,companieshavestartedtobuyandsellproductsandserviceswithoneanother.Suchbusiness-to-businesssalesmakesensebecausebusinesspeopletypicallyknowwhatproductthey’relookingfor.
Nonetheless,manycompaniesstillhesitatetousetheWebbecauseofdoubtsaboutitsreliability.“Businessesneedtofeeltheycantrustthepathwaybetweenthemandthesupplier,”sayssenioranalystBlaneErwinofForresterResearch.Somecompaniesarelimitingtheriskbyconductingonlinetransactionsonlywithestablishedbusinesspartnerswhoaregivenaccesstothecompany’sprivateintranet.
AnothermajorshiftinthemodelforInternetcommerceconcernsthetechnologyavailableformarketing.Untilrecently,Internetmarketingactivitieshavefocusedonstrategiesto“pull”customersintosites.Inthepastyear,however,softwarecompanieshavedevelopedtoolsthatallowcompaniesto“push”informationdirectlyouttoconsumers,transmittingmarketingmessagesdirectlytotargetedcustomers.Mostnotably,thePointcastNetworkusesascreensavertodeliveracontinuallyupdatedstreamofnewsandadvertisementstosubscribers’computermonitors.Subscriberscancustomizetheinformationtheywanttoreceiveandproceeddirectlytoacompany’sWebsite.CompaniessuchasVirtualVineyardsarealreadystartingtousesimilartechnologiestopushmessagestocustomersaboutspecialsales,productofferings,orotherevents.ButpushtechnologyhasearnedthecontemptofmanyWebusers.Onlineculturethinkshighlyofthenotionthattheinformationflowingontothescreencomestherebyspecificrequest.Oncecommercialpromotionbeginstofillthescreenuninvited,thedistinctionbetweentheWebandtelevisionfades.That’saprospectthathorrifiesNetpurists.
ButitishardlyinevitablethatcompaniesontheWebwillneedtoresorttopushstrategiestomakemoney.TheexamplesofVirtualVineyards,A,andotherpioneersshowthataWebsitesellingtherightkindofproductswiththerightmixofinteractivity,hospitality,andsecuritywillattractonlinecustomers.Andthecostofcomputingpowercontinuestofreefall,whichisagoodsignforanyenterprisesettingupshopinsilicon.Peoplelookingback5or10yearsfromnowmaywellwonderwhysofewcompaniestooktheonlineplunge.
1996
Text3
Inthelasthalfofthenineteenthcentury“capital”and“labour”wereenlargingandperfectingtheirrivalorganizationsonmodernlines.Manyanoldfirmwasreplacedbyalimitedliabilitycompanywithabureaucracyofsalariedmanagers.Thechangemetthetechnicalrequirementsofthenewagebyengagingalargeprofessionalelementandpreventedthedeclineinefficiencythatsocommonlyspoiledthefortunesoffamilyfirmsinthesecondandthirdgenerationaftertheenergeticfounders.Itwasmoreoverastepawayfromindividualinitiative,towardscollectivismandmunicipalandstate-ownedbusiness.Therailwaycompanies,thoughstillprivatebusinessmanagedforthebenefitofshareholders,wereveryunlikeoldfamilybusiness.Atthesametimethegreatmunicipalitieswentintobusinesstosupplylighting,tramsandotherservicestothetaxpayers.
Thegrowthofthelimitedliabilitycompanyandmunicipalbusinesshadimportantconsequences.Suchlarge,impersonalmanipulationofcapitalandindustrygreatlyincreasedthenumbersandimportanceofshareholdersasaclass,anelementinnationalliferepresentingirresponsiblewealthdetachedfromthelandandthedutiesofthelandowners;andalmostequallydetachedfromtheresponsiblemanagementofbusiness.Allthroughthenineteenthcentury,America,Africa,India,AustraliaandpartsofEuropewerebeingdevelopedbyBritishcapital,andBritishshareholderswerethusenrichedbytheworld’smovementtowardsindustrialization.TownslikeBournemouthandEastbournespranguptohouselarge“comfortable”classeswhohadretiredontheirincomes,andwhohadnorelationtotherestofthecommunityexceptthatofdrawingdividendsandoccasionallyattendingashareholders’meetingtodictatetheirorderstothemanagement.Ontheotherhand“shareholding”meantleisureandfreedomwhichwasusedbymanyofthelaterVictoriansforthehighestpurposeofagreatcivilization.
The“shareholders”assuchhadnoknowledgeofthelives,thoughtsorneedsoftheworkmenemployedbythecompanyinwhichheheldshares,andhisinfluenceontherelationsofcapitalandlabourwasnotgood.Thepaidmanageractingforthecompanywasinmoredirectrelationwiththemenandtheirdemands,butevenhehadseldomthatfamiliarpersonalknowledgeoftheworkmenwhichtheemployerhadoftenhadunderthemorepatriarchalsystemoftheoldfamilybusinessnowpassingaway.Indeedthemeresizeofoperationsandthenumbersofworkmeninvolvedrenderedsuchpersonalrelationsimpossible.Fortunately,however,theincreasingpowerandorganizationofthetradeunions,atleastinallskilledtrades,enabledtheworkmentomeetonequaltermsthemanagersofthecompanieswhoemployedthem.Thecrueldisciplineofthestrikeandlockouttaughtthetwopartiestorespecteachother’sstrengthandunderstandthevalueoffairnegotiation.
2002
Text1
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