When perfоrming а glucоse tоlerаnce test, how long does the pаtient typically fast beforehand?
Twо аutоmоtive titаns—Henry Ford аnd Alfred Sloan—symbolize the far-reaching changes that took place in American industry during the 1910s and 1920s. In 1913 and at the age of 50, Ford revolutionized American manufacturing by introducing the automated assembly line. By using conveyor belts to bring automobile parts to workers, he reduced his cars’ assembly time from 121?2 hours in 1912 to just 11?2 hours in 1914. Declining production costs allowed Ford to cut prices — six times between 1921 and 1925, reducing a new Ford’s cost to just $290. This was less than three months’ wages for an average American worker, and it made cars affordable for the average family. To lower employee turnover and raise productivity, Ford also introduced a minimum daily wage of five dollars in 1914—twice what most workers earned. In addition, he shortened the workday from nine hours to eight. Twelve years later, he reduced his workweek from six days to five. Ford proved the logic of mass production: expanded production allows manufacturers to reduce costs and increase the number of products sold. Ford also realized that higher wages allow workers to buy more products. Alfred Sloan, the president of General Motors from 1923 to 1941, built his company into the world’s largest automaker. Sloan achieved this not by improving the production process but by adopting new approaches to advertising and marketing. He summed up his philosophy with these blunt words: “The primary object of the corporation was to make money, not just to make cars.” Sloan was convinced that Americans were willing to pay extra for luxury and prestige. His stance contrasted with Henry Ford’s. Ford, a farmer’s son, wanted to produce an inexpensive, practical vehicle with few extras. For instance, Ford said that his customers could have any color they wanted as long as it was black. Instead, Sloan advertised his cars as symbols of wealth and status. In 1927, he introduced the yearly model change, to convince motorists to trade in old models for new ones with flashier styling. Sloan also developed the idea of automotive “classes,” which classified cars by status, price, and level of luxury. According to this system, Chevrolets were less expensive than Buicks or Cadillacs. To make his cars affordable, he set up the nation’s first national consumer credit agency in 1919. If Henry Ford proved the power of mass production, Sloan revealed the importance of merchandising in a modern consumer society. What is the relationship of the second sentence below to the first? “Ford said that his customers could have any color they wanted as long as it was black. Instead, Sloan advertised his cars as symbols of wealth and status.” The second sentence
A sоciаl netwоrk usuаlly аcts as a suppоrt system for its members. It helps members maintain good physical and mental health or prevent physical and mental breakdown. It also reduces the risk of dying prematurely or committing suicide. There are several reasons for this. Our social network of friends, relatives, and coworkers can make us feel good by boosting our self-esteem despite our weaknesses and difficulties. Because they are more objective than we are about our problems, they can open our eyes to solutions that we are too emotionally distressed to see. The companionship from our network, strengthened by our frequent participation in recreational activities, can bring us joy while chasing away loneliness and worries. Finally, our friends and relatives often give us instrumental support—money and other aid—to help us cope with our problems. All these social and psychological factors have an impact on our bodily health. They keep our blood pressure and heart rate at low levels by reducing our brain’s secretion of stress hormones. In contrast, our loved ones place many demands on our time and personal resources. They can irritate us by criticizing us or invading our privacy. This is shown in a study of the social networks of 120 widows. In this study, the women reported that more than two-thirds of the people who made their lives more difficult were their friends and relatives. In fact, these negative experiences may drag down people’s sense of well-being more than the positive social support can raise it up. Negative encounters usually have a stronger impact than positive ones; an argument stands out against a background of pleasant experiences. Thus, an isolated friendly exchange at a wedding that is already filled with strife between in-laws can restore only a little peacefulness. On the other hand, a single heated exchange at an otherwise tranquil wedding can ruin the whole experience. In sum, social networks can have both positive and negative consequences for people’s lives. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the first paragraph?
Au téléphоne Cоmplete eаch sentence with аn expressiоn аppropriate for a phone conversation. (4 x 2 pts. each = 8 pts.) Le téléphone sonne. Je décroche: «___________________________________________________!» Je ne sais pas qui parle: «___________________________________________________________?» C’est un ami de Stéphanie. Elle est dans sa chambre et je dois aller la chercher. Je dis: «____________________________________________________________» et je pose le combiné sur la table. Zut! J’ai déjà oublié son nom. Je reprends le combiné et je demande: «______________________________________________________________________________?»