More than any other country, America defines itself by a collective dream: the dream of economic opportunity and upward mobility. Its proudest boast is that it offers a chance of the good life to everybody who is willing to work hard and play by the rules. This ideal has made the United States the world’s strongest magnet for immigrants; it has also reconciled ordinary Americans to the rough side of a dynamic economy, with all its inequalities and insecurities. Who cares if the boss earns 300 times more than the average working staff, if the staff knows be can become the boss
Look around the world and the supremacy of "the American model" might seem assured. No other rich country has so successfully harnessed the modern juggernauts of technology and globalization The hallmarks of American capitalism—a willingness to take risks, a light regulatory touch and sharp competition—have spawned enormous wealth. "This economy is powerful, productiv
A. they resign themselves to their fate.
B. they have a strong sense of security.
C. they are tolerant as well as generous.
D. they have a fair chance to rise in rank.
Climate, more than any other single factor, determines the distribution of life on earth. Climatic boundaries establish the limits which organisms can survive. Plants, even more than animals, must be well adapted to climate in order to survive. They cannot move about or take shelter but must be equipped to endure whatever weather conditions are likely to occur. In the harsh conditions of the tundra, for example, low growing mosses, lichens, and a few flowering plants all hug the ground for shelter from icy winds.
Animals, despite their ability to move about and find shelter, are just as much influenced by climate as plants are. Creatures such as the camel and the penguin are so highly specialized that they have an extremely limited distribution. Others, such as bears are flexible enough to adapt to a broad range of climates. Oceandwelling organisms are just as sensitive to climatic changes—in this case temperature and salinity—as land animals
A. to avoid being eaten by arctic animals
B. because fertilizer is not readily available
C. to minimize exposure to the cold
D. because unfrozen water supplies are very scarce
More than any other industry, the luxury-goods business needs people to feel good about spending money. So at a recent conference in Moscow, Bernard Arnault, the head of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), the world’s biggest luxury-goods group, went to great lengths to dismiss investors’ fears about the impact on the industry of America’s credit crisis, a possible recession and the weak dollar. Indeed, Mr. Arnault said he expects the industry’s sales almost to double in the next five years, thanks to strong demand from emerging markets and the creation of new wealth across the globe.
After a depressing period at the beginning of the decade when the terrorist attacks in America, the outbreak of SARS and the war in Iraq reduced international travel and people’s appetite for frivolous things, the industry has had three excellent years. According to Bain, a consultancy, sales of luxury goods grew by 9% in 2006 to 159 billion ($ 200 billion) and
A. Lower the price
B. Introduce different product lines at different price ranges for different customers
C. Cut cost in order to maintain the profitability
D. Implement a temporary policy of layoff of the staff
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