Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗電視連續(xù)劇) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.

　　“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”

　　Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers. “This led to an enormous change in consumption patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction,” says Martine.

　　31. According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ________.

　　A) by educating its citizens

　　B) by careful family planning

　　C) by developing TV programmes

　　D) by chance

　　32. According to the passage, many Third World countries ________.

　　A) haven’t attached much importance to birth control

　　B) would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate

　　C) haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population

　　D) neglected the role of TV plays in family planning

　　33. The phrase “puts it down to” (Line 1, Para. 3) is closest in meaning to “________”.

　　A) attributes it to

　　B) finds it a reason for

　　C) sums it up as

　　D) compares it to

　　34. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ________.

　　A) they keep people sitting long hours watching TV

　　B) they have gradually changed people’s way of life

　　C) people are drawn to their attractive package

　　D) they popularize birth control measures

　　35. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?

　　A) The increase in birth rate will promote consumption.

　　B) The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.

　　C) Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory.

　　D) A country’s production is limited by its population growth.

　　31. D 32. C 33. A 34.B 35. B

　　The rise of multinational corporations (跨國公司), global marketing, new communications technologies, and shrinking cultural differences have led to an unparalleled increase in global public relations or PR.

　　Surprisingly, since modern PR was largely an American invention, the U.S. leadership in public relations is being threatened by PR efforts in other countries. Ten years ago, for example, the world’s top five public relations agencies were American-owned. In 1991, only one was. The British in particular are becoming more sophisticated and creative. A recent survey found that more than half of all British companies include PR as part of their corporate (公司的) planning activities, compared to about one-third of U.S. companies. It may not be long before London replaces New York as the capital of PR.

　　Why is America lagging behind in the global PR race? First, Americans as a whole tend to be fairly provincial and take more of an interest in local affairs. Knowledge of world geography, for example, has never been strong in this country. Secondly, Americans lag behind their European and Asian counterparts (相對應(yīng)的人) in knowing a second language. Less than 5 percent of Burson—Marshall’s U.S. employees know two languages. Ogilvy and Mather has about the same percentage. Conversely, some European firms have half or more of their employees fluent in a second language. Finally, people involved in PR abroad tend to keep a closer eye on international affairs. In the financial PR area, for instance, most Americans read the Wall Street Journal. Overseas, their counterparts read the Journal as well as the Financial Times of London and The Economist, publications not often read in this country.

　　Perhaps the PR industry might take a lesson from Ted Turner of CNN (Cable News Network). Turner recently announced that the word “foreign” would no longer be used on CNN news broadcasts. According to Turner, global communications have made the nations of the world so interdependent that there is no longer any such things as foreign.

　　26. According to the passage, U.S. leadership in public relations is being threatened because of ________.

　　A) an unparalleled increase in the number of public relations companies

　　B) shrinking cultural differences and new communications technologies

　　C) the decreasing number of multinational corporations in the U.S.

　　D) increased efforts of other countries in public relations

　　27. London could soon replace New York as the center of PR because ________.

　　A) British companies are more ambitious than U.S. companies

　　B) British companies place more importance on PR than U.S. companies

　　C) British companies are heavily involved in planning activities

　　D) four of the world’s top public relations agencies are British-owned

　　28. The word “provincial” (Line 2, Para. 3) most probably means “________”.

　　A) limited in outlook

　　B) like people from the provinces

　　C) rigid in thinking

　　D) interested in world financial affairs

　　29. We learn from the third paragraph that employees in the American PR industry ________.

　　A) speak at least one foreign language fluently

　　B) are ignorant about world geography

　　C) are not as sophisticated as their European counterparts

　　D) enjoy reading a great variety of English business publications

　　30. What lesson might the PR industry take from Ted Turner of CNN?

　　A) American PR companies should be more internationally-minded.

　　B) The American PR industry should develop global communications technologies.

　　C) People working in PR should be more fluent in foreign languages.

　　D) People involved in PR should avoid using the word “foreign”.

　　26. D 27. B 28. A 29.C 30. A