Text3

　　Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is an expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language, but few people are even moderately proficient at pronouncing foreign languages. Now there are many reasons for this, some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest that the fundamental reason why people in general do not speak foreign languages very much better than they do is that they fail to grasp the true nature of the problem of learning to pronounce, and consequently never set about tackling it in the right way. Far too many people fail to realize that pronouncing a foreign language is a skill, one that needs careful training of a special kind, and one that cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of itself. I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the importance of a good accent, tend to neglect, in their practical teaching, the branch of study concerned with speaking the language.

　　So the first point I want to make is that English pronunciation must be taught; the teacher should be prepared to devote some of the lesson time to this, and by his whole attitude to the subject should get the student to feel that here is a matter worthy of receiving his close attention. So there should be occasions when other aspects of English, such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to take second place.

　　Apart from this question of the time given to pronunciation, there are two other requirements for the teacher: the first, knowledge; the second, technique.

　　It is important that the teacher should be in possession of the necessary information. This can generally be obtained from books. It is possible to get from books some idea of the mechanics of speech, and of what we call general phonetic theory. It is also possible in this way to get a clear mental picture of the relationship between the sounds of different languages, between the speech habits of English people and those, say, of your students. Unless the teacher has such a picture, any comments he may make on his students' pronunciation are unlikely to be of much use, and lesson time spent on pronunciation may well be time-wasted.

　　But it does not follow that you can teach pronunciation successfully as soon as you have read the necessary books. It depends, after that, on what use you make of your knowledge, and this is a matter of technique.

　　Now the first and most important part of a language teacher's technique is his own performance, his ability to demonstrate the spoken language, in every detail of articulation as well as in fluent speaking, so that the student's latent capacity for imitation is given the fullest scope and encouragement. The teacher, then, should be as perfect a model in this respect as he can make himself. And to supplement his own performance, however satisfactory this may be, the modern teacher has at his disposal recordings, radio, television and video, to supply the authentic voices of native speakers, or, if the teacher happens to be a native speaker himself or speaks just like one, then to vary the method of presenting the language material. (537 words)

　　Notes: set about着手，试图。articulation发音。latent潜在的，不明显的。at one's disposal供某人任意支配使用。

　　31. What does the writer actually say about pronouncing foreign languages?

　　[A] Only a few people are really proficient.

　　[B] No one is really an expert in the skill.

　　[C] There aren't many people who are even fairly good.

　　[D] There are even some people who are moderately proficient.

　　32. The writer argues that going about the problem of pronunciation in the wrong way is

　　[A] an obvious cause of not grasping the problem correctly.

　　[B] a fundamental consequence of not speaking well.

　　[C] a consequence of not grasping the problem correctly.

　　[D] not an obvious cause of speaking poorly.

　　33. What is it that teachers are said to be inclined to forget?

　　[A] The practical teaching of languages.

　　[B] The importance of a good accent.

　　[C] The principle of phonetic theory.

　　[D] The teaching of pronunciation in the classroom.

　　34. The value the student puts on correct speech habits depends upon

　　[A] how closely he attends to the matter.

　　[B] whether it is English that is being taught.

　　[C] his teacher's approach to pronunciation.

　　[D] the importance normally given to grammar and spelling.

　　35. According to the text, in relation to someone teaching his own language to foreigners, audio-visual aids can

　　[A] completely replace his own teaching performance.

　　[B] provide alternative samples of native speech.

　　[C] help to improve teaching quality to a great extent.

　　[D] provide a perfect model for language students to follow.

　　Text4

　　The majority of successful senior managers do not closely follow the classical rational model of first clarifying goals, assessing the problem, formulating options, estimating likelihood of success, making a decision, and only then taking action to implement the decision. Rather, in their day-by-day tactical activities, these senior executives rely on what is vaguely termed “intuition” to manage a network of interrelated problems that require them to deal with ambiguity, inconsistency, novelty, and surprise; and to integrate action into the process of thinking.

　　Generations of writers on management have recognized that some practicing managers rely heavily on intuition. In general, however, such writers display a poor grasp of what intuition is. Some see it as the opposite of rationality; others view it as an excuse of capriciousness.

　　Isenberg's recent research on the cognitive processes of senior managers reveals that managers' intuition is neither of these. Rather, senior managers use intuition in at least five distinct ways. First, they intuitively sense when a problem exists. Second, managers rely on intuition to perform well-learned behavior patterns rapidly. This intuition is not arbitrary or irrational, but is based on years of painstaking practice and personal experience that build skills. A third function of intuition is to synthesize isolated bits of data and practice into an integrated picture, often in an “Aha!” experience. Fourth, some managers use intuition as a check on the results of more rational analysis. Most senior executives are familiar with the formal decision analysis models and tools, and those who use such systematic methods for reaching decisions are occasionally suspicious of solutions suggested by these methods which run counter to their sense of the correct course of action. Finally, managers can use intuition to bypass in-depth analysis and move rapidly to find out a plausible solution. Used in this way, intuition is an almost instantaneous cognitive process in which a manager recognizes familiar patterns.

　　One of the implications of the intuitive style of executive management is that “thinking” is inseparable from acting. Since managers often “know” what is right before they can analyze and explain it, they frequently act first and explain later. Analysis is invariably tied to action in thinking/acting cycles, in which managers develop thoughts about their companies and organizations not by analyzing a problematic situation and then acting, but by acting and analyzing in close concert.

　　Given the great uncertainty of many of the management issues that they face, senior managers often initiate a course of action simply to learn more about an issue. They then use the results of the action to develop a more complete understanding of the issue. One implication of thinking/acting cycles is that action is often part of defining the problem, not just of implementing the solution. (454 words)

　　Notes: capriciousness 多变，反复无常。run counter to 与…背道而驰;违反。bypass 绕过。in close concert 一齐，一致。given prep. 考虑到，由于。

　　36. The logical organization of the first paragraph of the text is that

　　[A] a conventional model is dismissed and an alternative introduced.

　　[B] the results of recent research are introduced and summarized.

　　[C] two opposite points of view are presented and evaluated.

　　[D] a widely accepted definition is presented and qualified.

　　37. In relation to the “writers on management” mentioned in Para. 2, the text suggests that they

　　[A] have not based their analyzes on a sufficiently large sample of actual managers.

　　[B] have relied in drawing their conclusions on what managers say rather than what managers do.

　　[C] have misunderstood how managers use intuition in making business decisions.

　　[D] have not acknowledged the role of intuition in managerial practice.

　　38. According to the text, senior managers use intuition in all of the following ways EXCEPT

　　[A] to speed up the creation of a solution to a problem.

　　[B] to identify a problem or bring together different facts.

　　[C] to initiate clear goals and in the end attain them.

　　[D] to evaluate possible solutions to a problem.

　　39. When mentioning “thinking/acting cycles”(in Para. 4), the author is most likely to believe that

　　[A] a manager analyzes a series of problems and then acts on that analysis.

　　[B] a manager gathers data by acting and then observes the effects of action.

　　[C] action and analysis in managerial practice invariably occur simultaneously.

　　[D] a manager takes action, being able to clarify reasons for that action.

　　40. According to the text, which of the following would most probably be one major difference in behavior between Manager X, who uses intuition to reach decisions, and Manager Y, who uses only formal decision analysis?

　　[A] Manager X checks possible solutions to a problem by systematic analysis; Manager Y does not.

　　[B] Manager X takes action in order to arrive at the solution to a problem; Manager Y does not.

　　[C] Manager Y draws on years of personal experience in creating a solution to a problem; Manager X does not.

　　[D] Manager X depends on day-by-day tactical activities; Manager Y does not.

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