The venture-capital-backed firms are more successful because they.（ ）[A] have invested in innovation[B] are good at stock exchanges[C] have abundant funds[D] have increased employment

The non-compete clause has been causing trouble for over 600 years.In 1414 an English court heard the case of John Dyer,an apprentice whose master had stopped him from plying his trade for six months.The judge was having none of it."The contract is contrary to common law,"he ruled.Individuals should be free to pursue the livelihood of their choice.That principle has been diluted in the intervening centuries-most countries give businesses some leeway to use non-compete clauses,whereby workers promise not to start or join firms that go head-to-head with their ex-employer.But their prevalence in America is striking Defenders of these agreements put forward several arguments.One is that non-competes encourage innovation by stopping rivals waltzing off with trade secrets;there is some evidence that levels of investnent are higher at firms where they are used.Another argument is that firms are less likely to train workers if newly skilled employees are able to up sticks and take what they have learned with them to arival.Again,research backs up this claim.a third argument is that firms and employees should be free to contract as they wish he counter-arguments are stronger.The prevalence of non-compete agreements is clear evidence that they are being used indiscriminately.roughly 15 of american employees without a college degree,and a similar share of those earning less than$40,000 a year,are bound by them.Burger-flippers and care-home workers do not have trade secrets to hawk.unp pigr The gains in investment and training must be set against the wider costs.In one study,in Michi-gan,researchers found that workers'job mobility fell by 8%when non-competes were allowed.When people cannot work for another employer who would value their skills,wage growth suffers,too,because people typically achieve the biggest bumps in their salary when they move firm.Non-competes are also associated with a decline in enterprise.One study found that the rate of entry of new firms into knowledge-intensive industries fell by 18 when non-compete clauses could more easily be enforced The costs spill over to all workers-even those who are not subject to non-competes.Young firms are disproportionately important for job growth,for example;if fewer firms are formed,it will affect everyone in the labour market.And non-competes can have a chilling effect even in places that do not Recognise them The drawbacks of non-compete clauses are all the more worrying because of today's business climate.The incentive to invest and train counts for less when,as now,the American economy suffers from a lack of competition.Non-competes are also more worrying when the balance of power between companies and employees are already skewed.The spread of mandatory-arbitration clauses in employment contracts and the decline of trade unions are both signs of that imbalance
Why do some people support the agreements of non-compete clause?

A.Because it can facilitate the cooperation between companies
B.Because it can prevent competitors from stealing trade secrets
C.Because it will help the employees gain more workfare
D.Because it will help build great work relationships

Text4 Most forecasts suggest that Britain will be a poorer country afier Brexit,largely because trading with the European Union will become more difficult.Such predictions about the distant future are,by their nature,open to doubt,which is partly why Brexit's proponents feel free to dismiss them.But the same does not apply to a new paper by Meredith Crowley,Oliver Exton and Lu Han from Cambridge University,which suggests that,months before Brexit has even happened,trade is already suffering,as firms respond to the prospect of higher tariffs.More than 100,000 British businesses export goods to the EU each year.At present they enjoy tariff-free trade with the country's biggest export market.But all face uncertainty as Britain negotiates a new trading relationship with Brussels.Some fear disaster if the talks break down.British carmakers could face a l0%tanff to export to the EU market.Dairies might have to pay tariffs of more than 30%.These extra costs could make exporting uneconomic.The Cambridge paper looks at the exporting decisions of British firms,across 8,000 types of product,in response to the tariffs that Britain would face in the event of reaching no trade deal with the EU.Where necessary,they adjust their calculations to take account of exchange-rate fluctvations.Since the referendum many companies appear to have reduced their exports to the EU.The research suggests that the bigger the potential tariff facing a product,the more nervous:firms are about exporting it.Why risk producing for a market that could soon become unwelcoming?Overall,the number of companies that began exporting new products to the EU in 2016 would have been 5%higher if there had been a Remain vote,the paper finds.It is hard to know what those firms that decided against producing for the EU did instead.The research finds little evidence,however,that they have lived up to the hopes of Brexiteers and boosted their exports to fast-growing non-EU markets.Some may have tried to sell more within Britain.Businesses may have only temporarily scaled down their production of exports for the EU.Normal service could resume ifBritain negotiates a good trade deal.But some damage is already done.The paper's results imply that in 2016 Britain lost some~lbn（$1.3bn）of exports to the EU because of the mere threat of higher tariffs.The long-term impact will be greater.Some of the firms dissuaded from exporting would have turned into big beasts.The referendum was only halfway through 2016,and the paper does not analyse data after that year.Meanwhile,Brexit uncertainty continues to rise.
According to the first paragraph,supporters of Brexit______

A.are on the wrong side
B.don't care these foretells
C.are oppose to the predictions
D.don't doubt the future of Britain

Text4 Most forecasts suggest that Britain will be a poorer country afier Brexit,largely because trading with the European Union will become more difficult.Such predictions about the distant future are,by their nature,open to doubt,which is partly why Brexit's proponents feel free to dismiss them.But the same does not apply to a new paper by Meredith Crowley,Oliver Exton and Lu Han from Cambridge University,which suggests that,months before Brexit has even happened,trade is already suffering,as firms respond to the prospect of higher tariffs.More than 100,000 British businesses export goods to the EU each year.At present they enjoy tariff-free trade with the country's biggest export market.But all face uncertainty as Britain negotiates a new trading relationship with Brussels.Some fear disaster if the talks break down.British carmakers could face a l0%tanff to export to the EU market.Dairies might have to pay tariffs of more than 30%.These extra costs could make exporting uneconomic.The Cambridge paper looks at the exporting decisions of British firms,across 8,000 types of product,in response to the tariffs that Britain would face in the event of reaching no trade deal with the EU.Where necessary,they adjust their calculations to take account of exchange-rate fluctvations.Since the referendum many companies appear to have reduced their exports to the EU.The research suggests that the bigger the potential tariff facing a product,the more nervous:firms are about exporting it.Why risk producing for a market that could soon become unwelcoming?Overall,the number of companies that began exporting new products to the EU in 2016 would have been 5%higher if there had been a Remain vote,the paper finds.It is hard to know what those firms that decided against producing for the EU did instead.The research finds little evidence,however,that they have lived up to the hopes of Brexiteers and boosted their exports to fast-growing non-EU markets.Some may have tried to sell more within Britain.Businesses may have only temporarily scaled down their production of exports for the EU.Normal service could resume ifBritain negotiates a good trade deal.But some damage is already done.The paper's results imply that in 2016 Britain lost some~lbn（$1.3bn）of exports to the EU because of the mere threat of higher tariffs.The long-term impact will be greater.Some of the firms dissuaded from exporting would have turned into big beasts.The referendum was only halfway through 2016,and the paper does not analyse data after that year.Meanwhile,Brexit uncertainty continues to rise.
What's the main idea of the text?

A.Brexit uncertainry has already damaged Britain's exporters.
B.Measures to deal with the impact led by Brexit uncertainty.
C.British business export to EU has dramatically decreased.
D.Uncertaintv means more export tariffs to a large extent.

共用题干
第二篇

Natural Medicines

Since earliest days,humans have used some kinds of medicines.We know this because humans have
survived.Ancient treatments for injury and disease were successful enough to keep humans from dying out
completely.
They were successful long before the time of modern medicine.Before the time of doctors with white
coats and shiny（发亮的）instruments. Before the time of big hospitals with strange and wonderful equipment.
Many parts of the world still do not have university-educated doctors. Nor do they have expensive hospi-
tals.Yet injuries are treated.And diseases are often cured.How?By ancient methods.By medicines that
might seem mysterious , even magical（有魔力的）.Traditional medicines are neither mysterious nor magical,
however.
Through the centuries, tribal（部族的）medicine men experimented with plants. They found many use-
ful chemicals in the plants.And scientists believe many of these traditional medicines may provide the cure
for some of today's most serious diseases.
Experts say almost 80% of the people in the world use plants for health care.These natural medicines
are used not just because people have no other form of treatment.They are used because people trust them.
In developed areas,few people think about the source of the medicines they buy in a store.Yet many wide-
ly-used medicines are from ancient sources,especially plants.Some experts say more than 25% of modern
medicines come,in one way or another,from nature.
Scientists have long known that nature is really a chemical factory.All living things contain chemicals
that help them survive.So scientists' interest in traditional medicine is not new.But it has become an ur-
gent concern.This is because the earth's supply of natural medicines may be dropping rapidly.

The passage indicates that ancient treatments for injury and disease were_________.
A:much more successful than modern ones
B:successful enough for humans to survive
C:successful in all cases
D:of little help to humans

共用题干
Natural Medicines
Since earliest days,humans have used some kinds of medicines.We know this because hu-mans have survived .Ancient treatments for injury and disease were successful enough to keep hu-mans from dying out completely.
They were successful long before the time of modern medicine.Before the time of doctors with white coats and shiny（发亮的）instruments. Before the time of big hospitals with strange and wonderful equipment.
Many parts of the world still do not have university-educated doctors.Nor do they have ex- pensive hospitals.Yet injuries are treated.And diseases are often cured.How?By ancient meth- ods. By medicines that might seem mysterious, even magical（有魔力的）.Traditional medicines are neither mysterious nor magical,however.
Through the centuries, tribal（部落的）medicine men experimented with plants. They found many useful chemicals in the plants.And scientists believe many of these traditional medicines may provide the cure for some of today's most serious diseases.
Experts say almost 80%of the people in the world use plants for health care.These natural medicines are used not just because people have no other form of treatment.They are used be-cause people trust them.In developed areas,few people think about the source of the medicines they buy in a store.Yet many widely-used medicines are from ancient sources,especially plants. Some experts say more than 25%of modern medicines come,in one way or another,from nature.
Scientists have long known that nature is really a chemical factory.All living things contain chemicals that help them survive .So scientists' interest in traditional medicine is not new.But it has become an urgent concern.This is because the earth's supply of natural medicines may be dropping rapidly.

The passage indicates that ancient treatments for injury and disease were_____.
A: much more successful than modern ones
B: successful enough for humans to survive
C: successful in all cases
D: of little help to humans

Text4 Most forecasts suggest that Britain will be a poorer country afier Brexit,largely because trading with the European Union will become more difficult.Such predictions about the distant future are,by their nature,open to doubt,which is partly why Brexit's proponents feel free to dismiss them.But the same does not apply to a new paper by Meredith Crowley,Oliver Exton and Lu Han from Cambridge University,which suggests that,months before Brexit has even happened,trade is already suffering,as firms respond to the prospect of higher tariffs.More than 100,000 British businesses export goods to the EU each year.At present they enjoy tariff-free trade with the country's biggest export market.But all face uncertainty as Britain negotiates a new trading relationship with Brussels.Some fear disaster if the talks break down.British carmakers could face a l0%tanff to export to the EU market.Dairies might have to pay tariffs of more than 30%.These extra costs could make exporting uneconomic.The Cambridge paper looks at the exporting decisions of British firms,across 8,000 types of product,in response to the tariffs that Britain would face in the event of reaching no trade deal with the EU.Where necessary,they adjust their calculations to take account of exchange-rate fluctvations.Since the referendum many companies appear to have reduced their exports to the EU.The research suggests that the bigger the potential tariff facing a product,the more nervous:firms are about exporting it.Why risk producing for a market that could soon become unwelcoming?Overall,the number of companies that began exporting new products to the EU in 2016 would have been 5%higher if there had been a Remain vote,the paper finds.It is hard to know what those firms that decided against producing for the EU did instead.The research finds little evidence,however,that they have lived up to the hopes of Brexiteers and boosted their exports to fast-growing non-EU markets.Some may have tried to sell more within Britain.Businesses may have only temporarily scaled down their production of exports for the EU.Normal service could resume ifBritain negotiates a good trade deal.But some damage is already done.The paper's results imply that in 2016 Britain lost some~lbn（$1.3bn）of exports to the EU because of the mere threat of higher tariffs.The long-term impact will be greater.Some of the firms dissuaded from exporting would have turned into big beasts.The referendum was only halfway through 2016,and the paper does not analyse data after that year.Meanwhile,Brexit uncertainty continues to rise.
If new trading relationship failed,Britain would_____

A.seek other trade opportunities
B.lose lots of export markets
C.reduce their external trade
D.face more export tariffs

共用题干
Natural Medicines
Since earliest days,humans have used some kinds of medicines.We know this because humans have survived.Ancient treatments for injury and disease were successful enough to keep humans from dying out completely.
They were successful long before the time of modern medicine. Before the time of doctors with white coats and shiny（发亮的）instruments. Before the time of big hospitals with strange and wonderful equipment.
Many parts of the world still do not have university-educated doctors. Nor do they have expensive hospitals.Yet injuries are treated.And diseases are often cured.How?By ancient methods. By medicines that might seem mysterious , even magical（有魔力的）.Traditional medicines are neither mysterious nor magical,however.
Through the centuries , tribal（部落的）medicine men experimented with plants. They found
many useful chemicals in the plants.And scientists believe many of these traditional medicines
may provide the cure for some of today's most serious diseases.
Experts say almost 80% of the people in the world use plants for health care.These natural medicines are used not just because people have no other form of treatment. They are used because people trust them. In developed areas,few people think about the source of the medicines they buy in a store .Yet many widely-used medicines are from ancient sources,especially plants.
Some experts say more than 25%of modem medicines come,in one way or another,from nature.
Scientists have long known that nature is really a chemical factory. All living things contain chemicals that help them survive .So scientists' interest in traditional medicine is not new.But it has become an urgent concern.This is because the earth's supply of natural medicines may be dropping rapidly.

The passage indicates that ancient treatments for injury and disease were
A: much more successful than modem ones
B: successful enough for humans to survive
C: successful in all cases
D: of little help to humans