The Californian coastline north and south of Silicon Valley is a trend-setting sort of place. Increasingly, the home interiors of the well-heeled there tend toward one of two (1) . Houses are (2) light flooded, sparse and vaguely Asian in (3) , with perhaps a Zen fountain in one corner, a Yoga area in another. Or they resemble electronic control rooms with all sorts of (4) , computers, routers, antennae, screens and remote controls. Occasionally, both elements are (5) . "She" may have the living room and’public areas, (6) "he" is banished with his toys up or down the stairs.Currently, the gadget lovers have powerful allies. Many of the largest companies in the consumer-electronics, computer, telecoms and internet industries have made a strategic decision to (7) visions of a "digital home", "eHome", or "connected home". Doubting that (8) from corporate customers will ever (9) to the boom levels of the late 1990s, Microsoft, Intel, Sony, Verizon, Comcast, Hewlett-Packard, Apple and others see the consumer (10) their best chance for growth and will be throwing a bewildering (11) of home "solutions" at (12) in the coming months and years.To understand what the (13) ultimately have in (14) it is best to visit the (15) homes that most have built on their campuses or at trade shows. (16) cosy and often intimidating, these feature flat screens almost everywhere, (17) electronic picture frames in the bedroom from the large TV-substitute in the living room. Every (18) has a microchip and can be (19) to, typed into or clicked onto. Everything is (20) to a central computer through wireless links. 5()
A. detrimental
B. imaginative
C. present
D. illusive
Every business has trouble sooner or later, it is the chief executive officer’s responsibility to set tNngs right.Good executives keep themselves in touch with their companies-they know (62) is going on at every level.Yes, they delegate. (63) they also follow up to make certain (64) each delegated task has been completed.No major (65) should be made in a company without the president’s (66) . (67) the president or CEO is ultimately responsible for the failure or success of his company, a smart CEO (68) himself with competent workers at all levels, especially at the (69) level.He then consults with his executives and supervisors (70) he has to make an important decision:He (71) their input and creates an open atmosphere (72) all may feel comfortable to share their ideas. (73) following this practice, a president knows that (74) a decision has been made, his administrators will feel (75) if they have had a part in it, or at least they will understand (76) the decision was made.He can then expect them to support the decision at their level. (77) is considered poor practice for an administrator to complain about all executive decision (78) it has been discussed openly and decided upon in committee.The time to express disagreement is during committee discussion or with the president privately. (79) , an administrator is expected to support the president (80) the company has become involved in an illegal activity.Americans consider this (81) support another form of professional behavior.
A. when
B. how
C. why
D. whether