TEXT3
“There is on and only one social responsibility of business,” wrote Milton Friedman, a Nobel prize-winning economist, “That is, to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.” But even if you accept Friedman’s premise and regard corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies as a waste of shareholders’ money, things may not be absolutely clear-cut. New research suggests that CSR may create monetary value for companies-at least when they are prosecuted for corruption.
The largest firms in America and Britain together spend more than $15 billion a year on CSR, according to an estimate by EPG, a consulting firm. This could add value to their businesses in three ways. First, consumers may take CSR spending as a “signal” that a company’s products are of high quality. Second, customers may be willing to buy a company’s products as an indirect way to donate to the good causes it helps. And third, through a more diffuse “halo effect,” whereby its good deeds earn it greater consideration from consumers and others.
Previous studies on CSR have had trouble differentiating these effects because consumers can be affected by all three. Al recent study attempts to separate them by looking at bribery prosecutions under America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). It argues that since prosecutors do not consume a company’s products as part of their investigations, they could be influenced only by the halo effect.
The study found that, among prosecuted firms, those with the most comprehensive CSR programmes tended to get more lenient penalties,. Their analysis ruled out the possibility that it was firm’s political influence, rather than their CSR stand, that accounted for the leniency: Companies that contributed more to political campaigns did not receive lower fines.
In all, the study concludes that whereas prosecutors should only evaluate a case based on its merits, they do seem to be influenced by a company’s record in CSR. “We estimate that either eliminating a substantial labour-rights concern , such as child labour, or increasing corporate giving byabout20% results in fines that generally are 40% lower than the typical punishment for bribing foreign officials”, says one researcher.
Researchers admit that their study does not answer the question of how much businesses ought to spend on CSR. Nor does it reveal how much companies are banking on the halo effect, rather than the other possible benefits, when they decide their do-gooding policies. But at least they have demonstrated that when companies get into trouble with the law, evidence of good character can win them less costly punishment.
31.The author views Milton Friedman’s statement about CSR with
[A]tolerance.
[B]skepticism.
[C]uncertainty.
[D]approval.
32.According to Paragraph 2,CSR helps a company by
[A]winning trust from consumers.
[B]guarding it against malpractices.
[C]protecting it from being defamed.
[D]raising the quality of its products.
33. The expression “more lenient ”(line 2,para.4)is closest in meaning to
[A]more effective
[B]less controversial
[C]less severe
[D]more lasting
34. When prosecutors evaluate a case, a company’s CSR regard
[A]has an impact on their decision
[B]comes across as reliable evidence
[C]increases the chance of being penalized
[D]constitutes part of the investigation
35.Which of the following is true of CSR, according to the last paragraph?
[A] Its negative effects on businesses are often overlooked.
[B] The necessary amount of companies’ spending on it is unknown.
[C] Companies’ financial capacity for it has been overestimated.
[D] It has brought much benefit to the banking industry.
31.答案 B Skepticism
解析：作者觀點態(tài)度題。題干問的是作者對有關(guān)CSR方面Milton Friedman的說法是什么態(tài)度。根據(jù)大寫Milton Friedman這個人定位到定位到首段首句。注意題干問的是作者的看法，因此定位到后一句but轉(zhuǎn)折處。轉(zhuǎn)折處的主題句式“things may not absolutely clear-cut”，作者持的是否定態(tài)度，選擇答案B。C選項是作者態(tài)度不明確，不能選擇。
32.答案 A winning trust from consumers
解析：根據(jù)題干找到第二段.根據(jù)第二段內(nèi)容,CSR could add value to their business in three ways. 從而定位下面三點。First后面出現(xiàn)了high quality，但是它是在從句中，從句修飾"signal",而本句謂語動詞是take，與D中 raising 并不是同義詞，故排除。Second,和third 都與消費者購買心態(tài)有關(guān)，和A選項 winning trust from consumers 相對應(yīng)。而B，C選項的malpractices和defamed在原文中并未出現(xiàn)，且沒有同義詞，故排除。
33.答案 C less severe
解析：根據(jù)題干找到第四段對應(yīng)處�？梢婎}干的 more lenient 是作為修飾 penalties(懲罰) 的，故推測本句在討論 CSR 和 penalties 有什么聯(lián)系。而本段與懲罰相關(guān)的詞只有最后一個詞 fines（罰金)，修飾它的形容詞是lower, 故可推測 more lenient 與降低懲罰有關(guān)，只有C選項滿足。
34.答案A has an impact on their decision
解析：題干中問的是 CSR record 與 prosecutors evaluate a case 的關(guān)系，根據(jù)題干內(nèi)容到對應(yīng)點：第五段第一句。本句說，...they do seem to be influenced by a company's recore in CSR.這里的 be influenced 與A選項 has an impact 對應(yīng)，故選A. 而B選項中的 reliable evidence, C 選項中的 the chance of being penalized 在原文中沒有體現(xiàn)。D選項中的 investigation 與題干中的 When prosecutors evaluate a case 明顯對應(yīng)不上，故不予考慮。
35.答案B The necessary amount of companies’ spending on it is unknown
解析：該題是一道判斷題，題干問的是有關(guān)CSR哪個是對的。先根據(jù)CSR回到最后一段，定位到末段首句。首句提到“研究人員承認到其研究沒有回答如下問題醫(yī)學.全.在.線52667788.cn：公司應(yīng)該在CSR方面花費多少錢”。選項B的意思是公司在其方面的花費是未知的，屬于原文的同義替換。
Text4
There will eventually come a day when The New York Times ceases to publish stories on newsprint. Exactly when that day will be is a matter of debate. “Sometime in the future”, the paper’s publisher said back in 2010.
Nostalgia for ink on paper and the rustle of pages aside, there’s plenty of incentive to ditch print. The infrastructure required to make a physical newspaper — printing presses, delivery trucks — isn’t just expensive; it’s excessive at a time when online-only competitors don’t have the same set of financial constraints. Readers are migrating away from print away. And though print ad sales still dwarf their online and mobile counterparts, revenue from print is still declining.
Overhead may be high and circulation lower, but rushing to eliminate its print edition would be a mistake, says BuzzFeed CEO Joah Peretti.
Peretti says the Times shouldn’t waste time getting out of the print business, but only if they go about doing it the right way.” Fighting out a way to accelerate that transition would make sense of them,” he said, “but if you discontinue it, you’re going to have your most loyal customers really upset with you.”
Sometimes that’s worth making a change anyway. Peretti gives the example seen as a blunder,” he said. The move turned out to be foresighted. And if Peretti would raise pricesand make it into more of a legacy product.”
The most loyal customers would still get the product they favor, the idea goes, and they’d feel like they were helping sustain the quality of something they believe in. “So if you’re overpaying for print, you could feel like you were helping,”Peretti said. “Then increase it at a higher rate each year and essentially try to generate additional revenue.”In other words, if you’re going to make a print product ,make it for the people who are already obsessed with it. Which way be what the Times is doing already. Getting the print edition seven days a week costs $500 a year — more than twice as much as a digital-only subscription.
“It’s a really hard thing to do and it’s a tremendous luxury that BuzzFeed doesn’t have a legacy business,”Peretti remarked. “But we’re going to have questions like that where we have things we’re doing that don’t make sense when the market changes and the world changes. In those situations, it’s better to be more aggressive than less aggressive. ”
36.The New York Times is considering ending its print edition partly due to
[A]the pressure from its investors.
[B]the complaints from its readers.
[C]the high cost of operation.
[D]the increasing online ad sales.
37. Peretti suggests that, in face of the present situation, the Times should
[A]make strategic adjustments
[B]end the print edition for good.
[C]seek new sources of readership.
[D]aim for efficient management.
38. It can be inferred form Paragraphs 5 and 6 that a “l(fā)egacy product”
[A]will have the cost of printing reduced.
[B]is meant for the most loyal customers.
[C]helps restore the glory of former times.
[D]expands the popularity of the paper.
39. Peretti believes that, in a changing world,
[A]traditional luxuries can stay unaffected.
[B]aggressiveness better meets challenges.
[C]cautiousness facilitates problem-solving.
[D]legacy businesses are becoming outdated.
40. Which of the following would be the best title of the text?
[A]Make Your Print Newspaper a Luxury Good.
[B]Keep Your Newspapers Forever in Fashion.
[C]Cherish the Newspaper Still in Your Hand.
[D]Shift to Online Newspapers All at Once.
36.答案 C the high cost of operation
解析：因果細節(jié)題，問的是紐約時報考慮停止紙質(zhì)版新聞印刷出版的原因是什么。文章首段首句即是此內(nèi)容的同義表達，二段解釋具體原因，二段二句內(nèi)容 The infrastructure isn't just expensive; it's excessive at a time when online-only competitors don't have the same set of financial constraints.意思是維持紙質(zhì)印刷的基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施建設(shè)不僅僅是貴，是相當貴， 而他們的競爭對手卻沒有這樣的經(jīng)濟上的限制。
37.答案 A make strategic adjustments
解析：細節(jié)題，問的是面對目前的形勢，Peretti建議時代雜志怎么做，根據(jù)關(guān)鍵詞Peretti回文定位至第四段，首句內(nèi)容是Peretti說時代雜志不該浪費時間去想著如何停止紙質(zhì)印刷，而應(yīng)該找到一種正確的方法去解決這件事。接著二句往后在具體說明該如何正確解決目前的問題。由此推出答案是A 做出策略上的調(diào)整。
38.答案 B is meant for the most loyal customers
解析：推斷題與詞匯題的結(jié)合，要根據(jù)上下文來做出選擇。首先定位在第五段最后一句：I would raise prices and make it into more of a legacy product. 不僅要提高價格還要將它變?yōu)橐环N可以傳承的產(chǎn)物。單單這一句不足以做出選擇。需要繼續(xù)往下看在第六段中有沒有對于這個詞的解釋之類的。第六段開頭提到了他認為most consumer 依舊堅持去相信他們認為好的東西，喜歡的，相信的東西。如果可以每年增加一些比例，那么依舊是可以創(chuàng)收的。長篇大段的敘述可以讓大家明白這個詞一定跟consumer有關(guān)。最為關(guān)鍵的是：緊接著出現(xiàn)了 inother world， 重述上文，不過卻簡潔的總結(jié)了前文。如果我們要做這些print product， 那就選擇那些已經(jīng)癡迷于他們的人吧。（那么對于他們來講就是一件可以傳承的東西了，以前喜歡，會依舊喜歡下去)。所以這句為做題的關(guān)鍵，對應(yīng)同義替換，選擇B。
A選項中的降低成本沒有在文中相應(yīng)位置涉及到。 C重建以往的關(guān)榮，與消費者關(guān)系不大 D擴大受歡迎程度，范圍過大。
39.答案B aggressiveness better meets challenges
解析：觀點態(tài)度題。偏細節(jié)題。定位Peretti在文中的觀點，首次出現(xiàn)在第三段 overhead…but rushing to eliminate its print edition would be a mistake.并且一直貫穿于下文。我們首先從選項來看。A 中…can stay unaffected 過于絕對，不選。D 選項中l(wèi)egacy business 不是文中的討論話題，所以可以直接排除。而C選項中謹慎可以促進問題的解決，在perreti的觀點中根本沒有體現(xiàn)，相反他建議要有所改變，并且要找對方式，言下之意就是大膽去面對挑戰(zhàn)。所以最終確定是B。
40.答案A Make Your Print Newspaper a Luxury Good
解析：主旨題。出現(xiàn)在最后一道題目中，全文共有7段，根據(jù)上面的細節(jié)題目，大致可以確定本文的中心詞為“print newspaper”B，C 兩個選項中的newspaper 都屬于范圍過大，是主旨題的典型錯誤選項，而D選項中出現(xiàn)的online newspaper 只是文中print newspaper時提到的一個面臨的 一個挑戰(zhàn)，不足以引領(lǐng)全文，并且all at once, 是“立刻，馬上”之意，與原文的觀點也有出入，最終確定選A。
