Yasuhisa Shizoki, a 51-year-old MP from Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), starts tapping his finger on the dismal economic chart on his coffee table. "Unless we change the decision-making process," he says bluntly, "we are not going to be able to solve this kind of problem." With the economy in such a mess, it may seem a bit of a diversion to be trying to sort out Japan’s political structures as well as its economic problems. But Mr Shiozaki can hardly be accused of time-wasting. He has consistently prodded the government to take a firm hand to ailing banks, and has given warning against complacency after a recent rise in share prices. Far from being a distraction, his latest cause highlights how far Japan is from genuine economic reform. Since cowriting a report on political reform, which was released by an LDP panel last week, Mr Shiozaki has further upset the party’s old guard. Its legionaries, flanked by columns of the bureaucracy, continue to hamper most attempts to overhaul the economy. Junichiro Koizumi was supposed to change all that, by going over their heads and appealing directly to the public. Yet nearly a year after becoming prime minister, Mr Koizumi has precious little to show for his efforts. His popularity is now flagging and his determination is increasingly in doubt.
As hopes of immediate economic reform fade, optimists are focusing on another potential benefit of Mr Koizumi’s tenure. They hope that his highly personalized style of leadership will pave the way for a permanent change in Japanese politics, towards more united and authoritative cabinets that are held directly accountable for their policies. As that happens, the thinking goes, real economic reforms will be able to follow.
A leading candidate for change is the 40-year-old system--informal but religiously followed--through which the LDP machinery vets every bill before it ever gets to parliament. Most legislation starts in the LDP’s party committees, which mirror the parliamentary committee structure. Proposals then go through two higher LDP bodies, which hammer out political deals to smooth their passage. Only then does the prime minister’s cabinet get fully involved in approving the policy. Most issues have been decided by the LDP mandarins long before they reach this point, let alone the floor of parliament, leaving even the prime minister limited influence, and allowing precious little room for public debate and even less for accountability.
As a result, progress will probably remain slow. Since they know that political reform leads to economic reform, and hence poses a threat to their interests, most of the LDP will resist any real changes. But at least a handful of insiders have now bought into one of Mr Koizumi’s best slogans. "Change the LDP, change Japan./
What is implied in the first sentence
A:The economic situation in Japan is depressing. B:Shizoki is engaged in some time-wasting activity. C:The economic chart mirrors genuine revivals. D:Shizoki is addicted to his enjoyable diversions.
A:an artificial shadow of a genuine article B:an apparatus for achieving good health C:the poor imitation of true inner health D:the good knowledge of health and disease
I am not sure that I can draw an exact line between wit and humor (perhaps the distinction is so subtle that only those persons can decide who have long white beards), but even an ignorant person may express an opinion in this matter.
I am quite positive that humor is the more comfortable and livable quality. Humorous persons, if their gift is genuine and not a mere shine upon the surface, are always agreeable companions. They have pleasant mouths turned up at the corners, to which the great master of Marionettes (牵线木偶) has fixed the strings and he holds them in his nimblest (灵巧的) fingers to twitch them at the slightest jest (笑话). But the mouth of a merely witty man is hard and sour. Nor is the flash from a witty man always comforting, but a humorous man radiates a general pleasure.
I admire wit, but l have no real liking for it; it has been too often employed against me, whereas humor is always an ally; it never points an impertinent (不礼貌的) finger into my defects. A wit’s tongue, however, is as sharp as a donkey’s stick—I may gallop the faster for its prodding (刺戳) , but the touch behind is too persuasive for any comfort.
Wit is a lean creature with a sharp inquiring nose, whereas humor has a kindly eye and a comfortable girth. Wit has a better voice in a solo, but humor comes into the chorus best.
Wit keeps the season’s fashions and is precise in the phrases and judgments of the day, but humor is concerned with homely eternal things.
A:Humor is always genuine B:Humorous persons have pleasant faces C:Wit is more nimble than humor D:Humor comes by more naturally than wit
Passage 3
Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also ex plain that there’ s a big difference between "being a writer" and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. "You’ ye got to want to write," I say to them, "not want to be a writer."
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by for tune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When ! left a 20-year career in the U. S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer (自由撰稿人), I had no prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’ t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn’ t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that I barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’ t going to be one of those people who die wondering" What if" I would keep putting my dream to the test-even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
A:Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding B:A writer' s success depends on luck rather than on effort. C:Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation. D:The chances for a writer to become successful are small.
Passage 3 Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also ex plain that there’ s a big difference between "being a writer" and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. "You’ ye got to want to write," I say to them, "not want to be a writer." The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by for tune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When ! left a 20-year career in the U. S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer (自由撰稿人), I had no prospects at all. What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’ t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer. After a year or so, however, I still hadn’ t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that I barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’ t going to be one of those people who die wondering" What if" I would keep putting my dream to the test-even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadow land of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there.
What can be concluded from the passage( )A:Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding B:A writer' s success depends on luck rather than on effort. C:Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation. D:The chances for a writer to become successful are small.
A:Three-month trials. B:To install on a "genuine" Windows P C:C. Users’ Windows system. D:Users’ computer literacy.
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Writer{{/B}} ? ?Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there’s a big difference between "being a writer" and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. ?"You’ve got to want to write, I say to them, "not want to be a writer." ? ? The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor--paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20 _year career in the U. S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer (自由撰稿者), I had no prospects at all: What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building. It didn’t even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like a genuine writer. ? ?After a year or so, however, I still hadn’t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn’t going to be one of those people who die wondering, What if? I would keep putting my dream to the test--even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. |
A:Genuine writers often find their work interesting and rewarding. B:A writer’s success depends on luck rather than on effort. C:Famous writers usually live in poverty and isolation. D:The chances for a writer to become successful are small.
A:requires genuine police skills. B:cannot be justified. C:is crucial for the solving of a crime. D:over - estimates the informant’s role but ignores the police’s rol
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