Passage Three

　　Workforce is defined as the total number of people who are available to work an earn incomes. The definition includes everyone who is employed or seeking paid

　　employment, so it includes employers and the self-employed.

　　Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population, there are several other influences which also affect it. The age distribution of the total population has a very marked effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high proportion of very young people or of those too old to work, then the available workforce would be lower than if there were an evenly spread age distribution. If the population grows rapidly from natural increase, i.e., the number of births greatly exceeds the number of deaths, then as the total population increases, the proportion in the workforce declines.

　　Sometimes a population is described as aging, which means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly, and as people retire from the workforce, there are not enough young people entering it to replace those who are leaving it. The population

　　is top-heavy with older people. So the percentage of the population in the workforce

　　declines when there is either a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate.

　　The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group. If the aged are to be cared for in special homes or hotels, finances must be available for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small relative to the total population, then the government tax receipts are relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be taxed

　　more heavily.

　　41. Workforce is composed of         .

　　A. both the employed and the self-employed      B. people employed to work for others

　　C. both employers and employees           D. people available to work and earn incomes

　　42. The factor that does not influence the size of the workforce is         .

　　A. the size of the total population          B. the age distribution of a population

　　C. the national economy                 D. the natural population growth

　　43. It can be concluded from Paragraph 2 that         .

　　A. a population growth leads to a greater proportion of workforce

　　B. a large population does not necessarily mean a high proportion of workforce

　　C. the size of the aged determines the proportion of workforce

　　D. the proportion of the very young determines the size of workforce

　　44. The size of the workforce declines when          .

　　A. many people reach the retiring age                  B. the birth rate falls rapidly

　　C. the number of retirees exceeds that of new workers     D. the death rate increases

　　45. The last paragraph focuses on          .

　　A. the factors that influence the workforce structure

　　B. the importance of workforce distribution to the economy

　　C. the relationship between age distribution and economy

　　D. the influence of population growth on the national economy

　　Passage Four

　　Honesty is the best policy, as the English saying goes. Unfortunately, honesty often deserts us when no one is watching. British psychologists reported last week.

　　Researchers at UK's Newcastle University set up an experiment in their psychology department's coffee room. They set a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk on the counter and hung up a sign listing the prices for drinks. People helping themselves to a cup of drink were supposed to put a few cents in the box nearby. The scientists hung a poster above the money box, and it changed each week between images of gazing eyes and pictures of flowers. The researchers found that staff paid 2.76 times more for their drinks when the image of the eyes was hung. "Frankly we were shocked by the size of the effect."

　　said Gilbert Roberts, one of the researchers.

　　Eyes are known to be a powerful perceptual (感官的) signal for humans. "Even though the eyes were not real, they still seemed to make people behave more honestly." said Melissa Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study.

　　Researchers believe the effect sheds light on our evolutionary past. It may arise from behavioral features that developed when early humans formed social groups to strengthen their chances of survival. For social groups to work, individuals had to co-operate, rather than act selfishly. "There's an argument that if nobody is watching us, it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we're being watched we should behave better. So people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us."

　　Bateson said.

　　The new finding indicates that people have a striking response to eyes. That might be because eyes and faces send a strong biological signal we have evolved to respond to.

　　The finding could be put to practical use, too. For example, images of eyes

　　Could increase ticket sales on public transport and improve supervision systems to prevent antisocial behavior.

　　46. The experiment conducted in Newcastle University shows that         .

　　A. people enjoy free drinks more than paid ones

　　B. most people are dishonest if nobody is watching

　　C. people like pictures of flowers more than pictures of eyes

　　D. people are more honest when watched by pictures of eyes

　　47. Gilbert Roberts was shocked because          .

　　A. so many people had participated in the experiment

　　B. so many of the participants were dishonest

　　C. the effects of the pictures of flowers and gazing eyes were so different

　　D. the effects of eyes and other perceptual signals were so powerful

　　48. The phrase "sheds light on" in Paragraph 4 probably means "       " .

　　A. hints at       B. makes clearer         C. points to         D. further proves

　　49. According to the passage, early humans          .

　　A. were less selfish than the present-day people       B. were more co-operative in nature

　　C .had to be co-operative to survive      D. had to behave better than the present-day people

　　50. Images of eyes could be put up in the following places EXCEPT         .

　　A. subway entrances     B. supermarkets    C. back streets     D. hotel bedrooms