The company also plans to introduce __14__cards—known in Japan as IC cards because they use integrated circuit for__15__information__16__ train tickets and commuter passes__17__the magnetic ones used today，integrating them into a/an __18__pass. This will save the company money，because__19__for IC cards are much less expensive than magnetic systems. Increased use of IC cards should also__20__the space needed for ticket vending.

1.[A] perspectives [B] outlooks [C] prospects [D] spectacles

2.[A] creatively [B] originally [C] authentically [D] initially

3.[A] displayed [B] demonstrated [C] embarked [D] unveiled

4.[A] go beyond [B] set out [C] come around [D] spread over

5.[A] applications [B] enterprises [C] functions [D]performances

6.[A] districts [B] vicinities [C] resorts [D] locations

7.[A] acquired [B] purchased [C] presided [D] attained

8.[A] lodgers [B] tenants [C] dwellers [D] boarders

9.[A] for [B] in [C] of [D] as

10.[A] figures [B] exhibits [C] convinces [D] speculates

11.[A] deprives [B] retrieves [C] spares [D] exempts

12.[A] conjunction [B] convenience [C] department [D] ornament

13.[A] delegated [B] designated [C] devoted [D] dedicated

14.[A] clever [B] smart [C] ingenious [D] intelligent

15.[A] checking [B] gathering [C] holding [D] accommodating

16.[A] as [B] for [C] with [D] of

17.[A] but for [B] as well as [C] instead of [D] more than

18.[A] unique [B] single [C] unitary [D] only

19.[A] devices [B] instruments [C] readers [D] examiners

20.[A] reduce [B] narrow [C] dwarf [D] shrink

答案

1.C 2.A 3.D 4.A 5.C 6.D 7.B 8.C 9.A 10.A

11.C 12.B 13.D 14.B 15.C 16.A 17.C 18.B 19.C 20.A

总体分析

本文介绍了东日本铁路公司引人关注的新计划。文章第一段介绍说东日本铁路公司创造性地利用车站内部及周围房地产的计划正引起越来越多人的关注。第二段具体介绍了这一计划的内容及好处，即适应信息时代的要求，把车站作为网上购物的物品收取地，这样既为消费者提供了方便，又提高了递送物品的安全性。第三段介绍了该公司引入智能卡代替目前使用的各种磁卡作车票的计划及其优点。

全文翻译

通过国家铁路系统的私有化创建起来的六大公司之一的东日本铁路有限公司，正吸引着越来越多人的目光。在一个发展前景不振的行业，它创造性地利用车站内部及周围的房地产的计划正引起人们的关注。

东日本铁路在11月份公布的“车站复兴”计划中说：它将不仅把它的商业空地用于开商店和餐馆，而且还要把这些商业空地用于更加适应信息时代的功能上去。它打算把车站作为网上所购物品如书籍、花卉和日用百货等的收取地。该公司估算，在一个都市人严重依赖列车作为上下班交通工具的国度里，每天大约有1600万人因各种原因来到它的车站。因此，在车站收取物品使消费者节省了路途而且也不像往家里递送那样容易丢失。东日本铁路已经开始把车站的便利店用于这一目的，但它打算为网上货物的递送创立专门的空间。

该公司还打算引入智能卡（在日本称为IC卡，因为它们利用集成电路储存信息）取代目前使用的磁卡作为车票和定期券，把各种不同的票券合为一体。这将为公司节省资金，因为IC卡的读卡机比磁系统要便宜的多。IC卡使用的增加还将会减少售票所占用的空间。

八、老龄化

Aging poses a serious challenge to OECD（Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development）countries，in particular，how to pay for future public pension liabilities. And early retirement places an__1__burden on pension financing. There is no easy solution，but__2__retirement could help.

Early retirement may seem like a worthy individual goal，but it is a socially__3__one，and makes the present public pension system difficult to sustain for long. The__4__reason is that more people are retiring early and living longer. That means more retirees depending on the__5__of those in work for their income. The__6__is worrying. In the next 50 years，low fertility rates and__7__life expectancy in OECD countries will cause this old-age dependency rate to roughly double__8__size. Public pension payments，which afford 30-80% of total retirement incomes in OECD countries，are__9__to rise，on average，by over three percentage points in GDP and by as much as eight percentage points in some countries.__10__is the pressure on pension funds that there is a danger of today‘s workers not getting the pensions they expected or felt they__11__for.