In the old days, sending a thank-you note to a relative was easy. You wrote it, 1 a stamp on the envelope and dropped it into a mailbox. 2 it went in a red-white-and-blue U.S. Mail truck, and

3 of days later the friendly neighborhood mailman walked it, 4 weather, right to the recipient's door.

5 you're as likely to send a fax, e-mail, or instant message. 6 you cling to traditional pen and paper, it's on longer clear 7 it will travel. Airborne Express? Overnight? Two-Day Priority?

8 it moves into the 21 st century, the American mail system 9 to survive. In the past few years, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has launched many new services, 10 stamps over the Internet, electronic bill payment, and a service that prints and mails electronic documents. Yet revenues depleted by alternative communications (e-mail, electronic banking), 11 with rising fuel and operating costs, led to a $350 million loss in 2000.

Meanwhile, private carriers are competing for business, forcing the Postal Service to contract with the likes of DHL and Emery Worldwide just to maintain its global reach. 12 still delivering 40 percent of the world' mail, the men and women in the blue uniforms of the Postal Service just can't seem to 13.

The problem is that the U.S. hasn't come to grips with the fact that in a fast-changing world, mail delivery is better run as a competitive business than as a government monopoly. 14 many countries have privatized their postal systems, the USPS has attempted to maintain business in both the public and private worlds. It is a semiprivate corporation with a lumbering government bureaucracy. It is 15 by a board of governors made up of a blend of local politicians, small-town business leaders and federal bureaucrats.

•  A. put B. stuck C. took D. had

•  A. Off B. Out C. Before D. Beyond

•  A. few B. a few C. a couple D. some

•  A. regardless B. regardless of C. regarding D. with regard to

•  A. Now B. Then C. When D. Since

•  A. Unless B. Until C. If D. Even if

•  A. what B. how C. where D. why

•  A. For B. Until C. As D. Since

•  A. struggles B. is struggling C. struggled D. has struggled

•  A. including B. ranging C. covering D. stretching

•  A. combine B. combining C. combined D. combination

•  A. However B. Therefore C. Despite D. Although

•  A. keep abreast B. keep pace C. catch up D. catch up with

•  A. While B. When C. Where D. How

•  A. done B. perfumed C. set D. run

答案：

1.B 2.A 3.C 4.B 5.A 6.D 7.B 8.C 9.B 10.A 11.C 12.D 13.B 14.A 15.D

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