Unit1
1. Why does the writer compare an artist who seeks fame to a dog chasing its own tail?
Because like a dog chasing its own tail, when the artist captures the fame, he does not know what else to do but to continue chasing it.
2. What will happen to artists if they become bored?
Their work begins to show a lack of continuity in its appeal and it becomes difficult to sustain the attention of the public.
3. Why is it possible for artists to lose support from the audiences if they make changes to their style?
Because the public discounts styles other than those for which the artists have become famous.
4. What do famous writers, painters and moviemakers have to give up in order to maintain their fame and fortune, according to the writer?
Their freedom to express themselves with other styles or forms.
5. In which way is the performer similar to the politician, according to the writer? They have to please their audiences by saying things they don’t mean or fully believe.
6. What does the writer want to show by giving an example of Oscar Wilde’s
uncompromising behavior?
Artists pay a heavy price for remaining true to themselves.
7. What explanation may failed artists give to themselves for their failure? Their genius is too sophisticated for contemporary audiences.
8. Why are Thomas Wolfe, Beethoven, Pestalozzi, and Thomas Edison mentioned in Paragraph 8?
To show that failure has motivated some famous people to work even harder to succeed. Unit3
1. What does the writer mean by saying “A welfare client is supposed to cheat. Everybody expects it”?
He means that a welfare client is believed to lie to get a little extra welfare money and everyone knows it well.
2. How has the author chosen to live as a welfare client?
He has chosen to live an honest life by drumming up some business outside and drawing cartoons for magazines.
3. Why do the caseworkers think they are entitled to have clients bow to them?
Because they know clearly that they are being made fools of by some of their clients, and
they feel they are entitled to have clients bow to them as compensation.
4. What is the writer’s attitude toward caseworkers?
He doesn’t think those caseworkers are to blame, so he isn’t being bitter.
5. Why did the caseworkers become “detectives” according to the writer? Because the welfare system practically requires people to lie.
6.How could the author possibly get his wheelchair repaired?
He had to call a caseworker he called Suzanne first. After giving a little lecture, Suzanne was supposed to notify the medical worker, who would certify that there was a problem. Then the medical worker called the wheelchair repair companies to get the cheapest bid. Then the medical worker alerted the main welfare office. They considered the matter for days before calling back and approving the repair, if he was lucky.
7. What does the writer think of the current welfare system?
He thinks that the system so easily lends itself to abuse by the welfare givers as well as by the clients.
8. What kind of new welfare system does the author dream of?
He dreams of a new system that will encourage the clients and help them to develop their talents, rather than seek to convict them of cheating.
Unit4
1. According to the writer, what would happen if the transformation under discussion takes place?
The living standards in the developing world will be greatly improved.
2. What does the writer mean by describing places as “deaf and dumb”?
The writer refers to those places without telecommunications facilities such as telephones, where there is little exchange of information.
3. Why are advanced communications seen as a way to leap over whole stages of economic development?
Because advanced communications and subsequent widespread access to information technologies enable the developing regions to shorten the process of changing from labor-intensive assembly work to industries that involve engineering, marketing and design.
4. Why do some experts believe it is inappropriate for Vietnam to require that its mobile phones all be expensive digital models?
Because they believe it is in bad need of any phones and it lacks experience in weighing costs and choosing between technologies.
5. What has Hungary done to quicken its steps into the modern world?
First, it sold a 30% stake in its national phone company to two Western companies to overcome the problem of funds and to quicken the import of Western technology. Second, it has leased rights
to a Dutch-Scandinavian group of companies to build and operate an advanced digital mobile phone system.
6. What is one of the most popular ways mentioned in the passage to boost a phone system in developing countries? And why? Wireless. For it’s cheaper to build radio towers than to string lines across mountain ridges and it is a reliable service.
7. Why can wireless phone providers make more profits in Latin America?
Part of the reason is that customers there talk two to four times as long on the phone as people in North America.
8. Why are mobile phones popular among businesspeople in Thailand?
Because mobile phones make it possible for them to keep contact with each other even when they are caught in the traffic jams.
Unit6
1. Why do students sometimes feel surprised when they find business ethics are included in their business courses?
Because they don’t know how serious the problem of bribery is.
2. What will the manager of a company do if he decides to give up his principles in a negotiation with some government officials? He will probably bribe the officials.
3.Why are practices such as paying agents and purchasers an exaggerated commission, and offering additional discounts described as “questionable”?
Because these practices are likely to be morally wrong and may be seen as forms of bribery.
4. What might individuals from a foreign company do if they want to sell arms to a country? They might make large payments to ruling families or their close advisers, or make donations to party bank accounts.
5. What does “a copy with a preface” mentioned in Paragraph 7 refer to? It refers to a rare edition of a book with $20,000 slipped within its pages.
6. What efforts has the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) made to prevent bribery?
It has proposed a council to manage a code of conduct, which can distinguish between commissions paid for real services and exaggerated fees that really amount to bribes.
7. Has the ICC finally taken action to prohibit bribery? Why or why not? No. because its members have different opinions about the duties of the ICC.
8. Can you give an example mentioned in the text to show that “industry is caught in a web of bribery”?
More than 300 US companies, for example, admitted that they had made questionable payments.
Unit7
1. What does The History and Geography of Human Genes conclude?
The book concludes that despite surface features, the “races” are remarkably alike under the skin.
2. Who created the first genetic map of the world?
Luca Cavalli-Sforza, a Stanford professor, and his colleagues.
3.Where did the scientists find the information to draw a global family tree?
In human blood, because various proteins serve as markers to reveal a person’s genetic makeup.
4. Why did people assume that Australia’s native people were closely related to black Africans? What do the discoveries made by the scientists show?
Because they share such superficial characteristics as skin color and body shape. But the discoveries indicate that Australians are most distant from the Africans and most closely resemble the Southeast Asians.
5. What else does the genetic map of the world show us about Africa?
It confirms that Africa was the birthplace of humanity and thus the starting point of the original human movements.
6. What does the genetic map show about Khoisan people?
It shows that the Khoisan may be a very ancient mix of west Asians and black Africans, rather than being directly descended from the most primitive human ancestors, and that their breeding ground lies in Ethiopia.
7. According to genetic information, are Europeans pure or mixed?
All Europeans are thought to be a mixed population, with 65% Asian and 35% African genes.
8. What is the ultimate aim of the study conducted by the scientists?
The ultimate aim is to weaken conventional notions of race that cause racial prejudice.