研究生英语阅读教程-Unit ONE

UNIT ONE TEXT ONETesco is preparing a legal battle to clear its name of involvement in the dairy price-fixing scandal that has cost consumers £270 million. Failure to prove that it had no part in collusion with other supermarkets and dairy processors may land it with a fine of at least £80 million. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said yesterday that Asda, Sainsbury’s and the former Safeway, plus the dairy companies Wiseman, Dairy Crest and Cheese Company, had admitted being in a cartel to fix prices for milk, butter and cheese. They were fined a total of just over £116 million as part of a leniency deal offered by the watchdog to companies that owned up quickly to anti-competitive behaviour.Officials at the OFT admitted privately that they did not think they would ever discover which company or individual had initiated the pricing formula. But the watchdog recognises that at the time supermarkets were under pressure from politicians and farmers to raise the cost of milk to save dairy farming, though it is not certain that money found its way to farmers. The OFT claimed in September that it had found evidence that the retail chains had passed future milk prices to dairy companies, which then reached a fixed price among themselves.The average cost to each household is thought to be £11.25 over 2002 and 2003. Prices went up an extra 3p on a pint of milk, 15p on a quarter of a pound of butter and 15p on a half pound of cheese. There is no direct recompense for consumers, however, and the money will go to the Treasury. The National Consumer Council gave warning that the admissions would dent consumer confidence in leading high street names and that people would become sceptical of their claims. Farmers For Action, the group of farmers that has led protests over low milk prices since 2000, is seeking legal advice on whether it can now bring a claim for compensation.The OFT investigation is continuing, however, in relation to Tesco, Morrisons and the dairy group Lactalis McLelland, and any legal action is expected to be delayed until that is completed.Tesco was defiant and said that it was preparing a robust defence of its actions. Lucy Neville-Rolfe, its executive director, said: “As we have always said, we acted independently and we did not collude with anyo ne. Our position is different from our competitors and we are defending our own case vigorously. Our philosophy is to give a good deal to customers.”Morrisons has supported the OFT in inquiries into the former Safeway business that it took over, but in a statement said that it was still making “strong representations” in its defence. A spokeswoman for Lactalis McLelland said that the company was “co-operating” with the OFT. Industry insiders suggested that the three companies were deliberately stalling the OFT investigation.Sainsbury’s admitted yesterday that it had agreed to pay £26 million in fines, but denied that it had sought to profiteer. Justin King, the chief executive, said he was disappointed that the company had been penalised for actions meant to help farmers but recognised the benefit of a speedy settlement. Asda declined to say how much it would pay in fines and also said that its intention had been to help farmers under severe financial pressure.1. From the first paragraph, we may infer that _____[A] Tesco is the most resolute among all the retailers to defend its reputation.[B] it is already proved that Tesco has colluded with Asda, Wiseman, Dairy Crest and Cheese Company in fixing the dairy price.[C] Tesco is offered a leniency deal of £80 million because of its quick response to the anti-competitive behaviors[D] Tesco is trying its best to prove its innocence of the scandal. 2. Who is most probably the initiator of the pricing formula?[A] Retail chains.[B] Farmers.[C] Dairy companies.[D] Politicians3. The word “defiant” (Line 1, Paragraph 5) most probably means _____.[A] resisiting[B] angry[C] deficient[D] confident4. We may infer from Morrisons’ statement that _____[A] Morrisons turn out to be the most defentive when dealing with OFT.[B] Morrisons is reluctant to support the inquiries into the former Safeway business.[C] industry insiders suggest that Morrisons was trying to delay the OFT investigation with non-cooperation. [D] Morrisons indeed refuses to admit its involvement in the scandal.5. The writer’s attitude to Tesco can be said to be _____[A] biased.[B] objective.[C] sympathetic.[D] optimistic.篇章剖析：本文介绍了目前奶制品公司因内部设定价格而面临受到的调查和处罚的状况。

Lesson 1 Spillonomics: Underestimating Risk[1] In retrospect, the pattern seems clear. Years before the Deepwater Horizon rig blew, BP was developing a reputation as an oil company that took safety risks to save money. An explosion at a Texas refinery killed 15 workers in 2005, and federal regulators and a panel led by James A. BakerⅢ, the former secretary of state, said that cost cutting was partly to blame. The next year, a corroded pipeline in Alaska poured oil into Prudhoe Bay. None other than Joe Barton, a Republican congressman from Texas and a global-warming skeptic, upbraided BP managers for their “seeming indifference to safety and environmental issues”.[2] Much of this indifference stemmed from an obsession with profits, come what may. But there also appears to have been another factor, one more universally human, at work. The people running BP did a dreadful job of estimating the true chances of events that seemed unlikely—but that would bring enormous costs.[3] Perhaps the easiest way to see this is to consider what BP executives must be thinking today. Surely, given the expense of the clean-up and the hit to BP’s reputation, the executives wish they could go back and spend the extra money to make Deepwater Horizon safer. That they did not suggests that they figured the rig would be fine an itwas.[4]For all the criticism BP executives may deserve, they are far from the only people to struggle with such low-probability, high-cost events. Nearly everyone does. “These are precisely the kinds of events that are hard for us as humans to get our hands around and react to rationally, ”Robert N. Stavins, an environmental economist at Harvard, says. We make two basic—and opposite—types of mistakes. When an event is difficult to imagine, we tend to underestimate its likelihood. This is the proverbial black swan. Most of the people running Deepwater Horizon probably never had a rig explode on them. So they assumed it would not happen , at least not to them.[5] Similarly, Ben Bernanke and Alan Greenspan liked to argue, not so long ago, that the national real estate market was not in a bubble because it had never been in one before. Wall Street traders took the same view and built mathematical models that did not allow for the possibility that house prices would decline. And may home buyers signed up for unaffordable mortgages, believing they could refinance or sell the house once its price rose. That’s what house prices did, it seemed.[6]On the other hand, when an unlikely event is all too easy to imagine, we often go in the opposite direction and overestimate the odds. After the 9/11 attacks, Americans canceled plane trips and took to the road. There were no terrorist attacks in this country in 2002, yet theadditional driving apparently led to an increase in traffic fatalities.[7]When the stakes are high enough, it falls to government to help its citizens avoid these entirely human errors. The market, left to its own devices, often cannot do so. Yet in the case of Deepwater Horizon, government policy actually went the other way. It encouraged BP to underestimate the odds of a catastrophe.[8] In a little-noticed provision in a 1990 law passed after the Exxon Valdez spill, Congress capped a spiller’s liability over and above cleanup costs at $7500 million for a rig spill. Even if the party is on the hook for only $7500 million. (In this instance, BP has agreed to waive the cap for claims it deems legitimate. ) Michael Greenstone, an M.I.T. economist who runs the Hamilton Project in Washington, says the law fundamentally distorts a company’s decision making. Without the cap, executives would have to weigh the possible revenue from a well against the cost of drilling there and the risk of damage. With the cap, they can largely ignore the potential damage beyond cleanup costs. So they end up drilling wells even in places where the damage can be horrific, like close to a shoreline. To put it another way, human frailty helped BP’s executives underestimate the chance of a low-probability, high-cost event. Federal law helped them underestimate the costs.[9] In the wake of Deepwater Horizon, Congress and Obama administration will no doubt be tempted to pass laws meant to reducethe risks of another deep-water disaster. Certainly there are some sensible steps they can take, like lifting the liability cap and freeing regulators from the sway of industry. But it would be foolish to think that the only risks we are still underestimating are the ones that have suddenly become salient.[10]The big financial risk is no longer a housing bubble. Instead, it may be the huge deficits that the growth of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security will cause in coming years—and the possibility that lender will eventually become nervous about extending credit to Washington. True, some economists and policy makers insist the country should not get worked up about this possibility, because lenders have never soured on the Unite States government before and show no signs of doing so now. but isn’t that reminiscent of the old Bernanke-Greenspan tune about the housing market?[11]Then, of course, there are the greenhouse gases that oil wells ( among other things) send into the atmosphere even when the wells function properly. Scientists say the buildup of these gases is already likely to warm the planet by at least three degrees over the next century and cause droughts, storms and more ice-cap melting. The researcher’s estimates have risen recently, too, and it is also possible the planet could get around 12 degree hotter. That kind of could flood major cities and cause parts of Antarctica to collapse.[12]Nothing like that has ever happened before. Even imagining it is difficult. It is much easier to hope that the odds of such an outcome are vanishingly small. In fact, it’s only natural to have this hope. But that doesn’t make it wise.。

Unit 1EnvironmentLearning ObjectivesAt the end of the unit, students will be able to:1.have some general knowledge about the environment;2.know about various kind of environmental problems;3.talk about the causes, effects, and measures people should take about theenvironmental problems;4. master the key words and expressions concerning the environment.Part I Warm-up ActivitiesA Directions:The following are some of the organizations devoted to theenvironmental protection. Match them with the corresponding Chinese translations.A. 联合国人类居住中心B. 绿色和平组织C. 国际环境情报网D. 联合国环境规划署E. 绿党F. 联合国环境与发展大会G. 国际自然和自然资源保护协会1. United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) D 联合国环境规划署2. International Environment Information System C 国际环境情报网3. Green Peace Organization B 绿色和平组织4. Green Party E 绿党5. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)G 国际自然和自然资源保护协会6. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)F 联合国环境与发展大会7. United Nations Center for Human Settlements (UNCHS)A 联合国人类居住中心B Directions:Below are three pictures conveying the environmental problems. Joina partner, talk about what specific environmental problems they are. Then discussabout their causes, effects and the measures people have to take to deal with these problems.1. What is the environmental phenomenon?2. What causes this environmental phenomenon?3. What are the effects of this environmental phenomenon?4. How can the human do to improve this situation?Part II Listening1. DeforestationA Directions: Listen to a report about deforestation over the past 10 years. Choose one item among A, B, C and D which best matches each of the following questions.1)What is the main cause of deforestation? (C)A.The cutting down of tropical trees for urban facilities.B.The global warming.C.The cutting down of tropical trees for agriculture.D.The forest fires.2)How much area of forest was cut down or lost through natural causes each year inthe last ten years? (C)A.Over four billion hectares.B. Sixteen million hectares.C. Thirteen million hectares.D. Seven million hectares.3)Which of the following countries have reduced their deforestation rates? (D)A. China and India.B. Brazil and Vietnam.C. China, India, Vietnam and America.D. Brazil and Indonesia.4)Which of the following areas have the highest yearly loss of forests during the lastten years? (B)A.North America and Central America.B. Asia and Europe.B.South America and Africa. D. South Africa and Asia.5)According to Eduardo Rojas, what made the rate of deforestation decrease aroundthe world? (B)A.Tree-planting programs.B.Improvement of forest policies and regulations at local and internationallevels.C.The result of the International Year of Biodiversity.D.The forest protection by the native people.TapescriptThe United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says deforestation has decreased over the past ten years. But it still continues at a high rate in many countries. Deforestation is mainly caused by the cutting down of tropical forests to provide land for agriculture. The world's total forest area is just over four billion hectares. About thirteen million hectares of forest were cut down or lost through natural causes each year in the last ten years. This compares with about sixteen million hectares per year during the nineteen nineties.The FAO study covers two hundred thirty-three countries and areas. The study found that Brazil and Indonesia have reduced their deforestation rates. The two countries had the highest loss of forests in the nineteen nineties. In addition, the study noted tree-planting programs in countries such as China, India, Vietnam and the United States. These programs, along with natural expansion of forests in some areas, have added more than seven million hectares of new forests each year.South America and Africa had the highest yearly loss of forests during the last ten years. South America lost four million hectares. Africa lost almost three and a half million hectares. However, Asia gained more than two million hectares a year in the last decade. In North America and Central America, the forest area remained about the same. In Europe, it continued to expand, but at a slower rate than earlier. Eduardo Rojas is assistant director-general of F.A.O.’s Forestry Department. He said for the first time, the rate of deforestation has decreased around the world. This is the result of efforts taken at local and international levels. Mister Rojas said countries have improved their forest policies and legislation. They have also provided forests for use by local communities and native peoples and for the protection of biological diversity. He said this is a welcome message in two thousand ten – the International Year of Biodiversity.However, Mister Rojas said the rate of deforestation is still very high in many areas. He said countries must strengthen their efforts to better protect and manage their forests.2. Unknown Future Climate Change EffectsA Direction:In this section you will hear a report about the unknown long-termeffects of rising temperatures. Listen and check the words and phrases as you hear them.√long-term effects☐reproduce☐potential disadvantages and consequences√longer growing seasons☐ a number of policies and regulations√concentrates on the role of agriculture☐climate change effects on industry☐immigration☐the depth of the planet√temperature√insect populationsB Directions：In this section you will hear a report about the unknown long-termeffects of rising temperatures. Listen and answer the following questions.1) What are the BRICS countries?They are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa as well as the United States and Indonesia.2）What did the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates once say?I know that I don’t know.3) What did Nelson say that they need to do?He said they needed to do a much better job of collecting data4) Why do the changes on the surface of the planet seem beneficial at first glance?Farmers see longer growing seasons and wetter springs.5) What has recent research shown as the temperature increases get above 30 or 31 to 31 or 33?Recent research has shown substantial drop-off in yields .TapescriptScientists say many of the long-term effects of rising temperatures are still unknown. They're discussing the problem at the U.N. climate change conference in Durban, South Africa. Researchers say climate change is a complex mix of potential benefits and consequences, especially regarding food production.In early November, researchers from several countries met in Beijing. They represented the so-called BRICS countries –Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – as well as the United States and Indonesia. They discussed climate change and food security and agreed on a number of issues and recommendations to present to the Durban conference.One of those researchers –Gerald Nelson –said they came up with a work program for climate change treaty negotiators. It concentrates on the role of agriculture.Nelson is a senior fellow at IFPRI, the Washington-based International Food Policy Research Institute.The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is quoted as saying, "I know that I don't know." Nelson said it's not that researchers don't know anything about climate change, it's just that they need to know a lot more."Our research results, our understanding of what's going on on the surface of the planet today, is really hindered by a lack of data. We just have very little information about the actual changes that are taking place on the planet. We are still groping, perhaps not in the complete dark, but with only very limited illumination, to understand those changes. And we need to do a much better job of collecting data about where things are changing and how they're changing," he said.At first glance, some of the changes being seen appear to be beneficial, at least for now."Take for example, in Iowa, farmers there are seeing longer growing seasons. They're planting earlier in the year. They're seeing wetter springs, with more summer precipitation happening. If you take a look at China, you see that Heilongjiang Province, which used to have essentially no rice production, now accounts for 15 percent of China's rice production. In the northern parts of Russia, you're finding grain growing that was not possible to grow there 20 or 30 years ago," he said.But what if global temperatures continue to rise? Would those apparent benefits continue? Maybe not."In the short run, they do seem to be positive," said Nelson, "That is, rice production further north because it's warmer potentially is a good thing for China. It's harder to sort out the climate signals as you get towards the middle of the planet. It's the northern extremes where you can see it earlier. But of course that's with the climate change we have so far."Nelson says predictions call for substantially greater temperature increases. He says there's been about a one degree Celsius rise over the past 100 years. But theforecast is for a two degree Celsius increase by 2050. Such an increase, he says, could have a dramatic effect on corn or maize.Nelson and others at the Beijing meeting came up with a list of 12 climate change priorities. One of them warns that a rise in temperature can also mean a rise in pests that attack crops."For insects, in particular, as the temperatures rise then they reproduce more rapidly. So, instead of having three cycles of a pest per season you might end up with four or five. And that means more damage to the plants as they grow," he said.And as temperatures rise, regions may lose killing frosts, which help limit insect populations. As for weeds, many are thriving in the richer CO2 or carbon dioxide environment.Then there are ruminants, animals that produce lots of methane gas while digesting their food. Nelson says methane is much more powerful than CO2. More nations are expected to raise livestock for food as their lifestyles improve.Other priority areas include soil ecosystems, irrigation, land use, biotechnology, food supply storage losses and training for researchers, farmers and others to better deal with climate change.3. Carbon FootprintsA Directions: You will hear a passage about how to reduce our “carbon footprints”.Listen and answer the following questions.1) What is the average carbon footprint per person in the United Kingdom eachyear?Ten thousand kilograms.2) What does domestic energy consumption include?It includes both our gas and electricity3）What does recycle mean?Recycle means reuse things instead of easting them by just throwing them away.B Directions:Listen to the passage again. Complete the summary.Jackie Dalton and his colleagues intends to find out about how they can help the environment by changing the way they shop, travel and 1) use energy in their daily lives.A “carbon footprint” is a technical term to 2) measure the degree of harm people cause to the environment. It is decided by how much “greenhouse gas emissions” we each produce. The average carbon footprint per person in the United Kingdom each year is 3) ten thousand kilograms. According to David Reay, the environment expert, we are seeing 4) rapid increases in greenhouse gas and will see rapid climate change and need more time to adapt and to get more time we need to reduce 5) the rate of emissions that we are producing. We can bring down our emissions by as much as 60% without 6) changing our lifestyle radically. For example, we can use the energysaving light-bulbs, use more 7) public transport and use trains. Furthermore, John Barrett from the Stockholm Environment Institute lists the 8) domestic energy consumption as the main thing in our daily life that harms the environment. TapescriptJackie: Do you throw your bottles in the bin, drive a big heavy car, or leave the lights switched on when you go out? I’m Jackie Dalton and, as part of National Science Week in Britain, we are going to find out about how we can help the environment by changing the way we shop, travel and use energy in our daily lives: how we can reduce our “carbon footprints”. A “carbon footprint”is a measure of how much harm we cause to the environment in our everyday lives.It depends on how much “greenhouse gas emissions”we each produce.Greenhouse gases are gasses which have a warming effect on the Earth’s surface, causing what we call the “greenhouse effect”and climate change –changes in the general weather conditions. The average carbon footprint per person in the United Kingdom each year is ten thousand kilograms! What can we do to reduce this? As we find out, we’ll also practise some helpful expressions we can use when talking about the environment. We’ve heard a few already. Just as a reminder, they were:Voice: greenhouse gas emissionsthe greenhouse effectclimate changeJackie: We’re about to hear from environment expert, David Reay. Why does he think we need to reduce our carbon footprints?David: At the moment we’re seeing rapid increases in greenhouse gas. So we’ll see very rapid climate change and we need more time to adapt and to get more time we need to reduce the rate of emissions that we’re producing. So, really,each of us can play a role in giving us a bit more time.Jackie: Well, he says greenhouse gas emissions have gone up which means the climate will change quickly. And we need more time to adapt. To change theway we behave. So what are the main things in our daily lives that areharming the environment? John Barrett from the Stockholm EnvironmentInstitute is about to list three. What are they?John: Domestic energy consumption – that includes both our gas and electricity. Our transport use - again, combining air travel and our car travel… car travel at the moment being by far the most significant, although air travel is increasing rapidly. And, also, our food consumption…the distance our food has to travel, techniques, methods required to provide us with our food.Jackie: Did you get the answer? The three things were domestic energy consumption, which means the energy we use at home when we do things like watch television. The second was transport. And thirdly, food. Here in the UK, we drink bottled water from Canada, eat apples flown in from New Zealand and beans from Kenya…when w e can get all of these things here anyway! What a waste of energy! But we can make a difference. Two questions now: by howmuch could each of us cut down our carbon footprints? And would we have to make a big change to the way we live our lives? Weekender © BBC Learning EnglishDavid: There’s a lot we can do, lots of these small things to bring down our emissions significantly, so 60% is the figure which is the possibility for most people, without changing their lifestyle radically, the small things - the energy saving light-bulbs, using more public transport, using trains. These things can really make a big difference.Jackie: The answers to the questions are David thinks we can cut down out emissions by as much as 60%. We can do this without radical changes to our lifestyle –we would only have to make small changes in the way we live. So how much effort are people making already to reduce their carbon footprints? Do many ‘recycle’ which means re-use things instead of wasting them by just throwing them away? Listen to these people telling us what they do to help the environment.Insert(‘What I do to help the environment.’)Jackie: Well, if you want to measure your own carbon footprints and find out how you can make a difference, you can always go to the links at the bottom of our webpage. Meanwhile, don’t forget to turn off your lights when you don’t need them on, recycle your bottles and next time you’re about to switch on the TV, ask yourself whether you wouldn’t just rather go for a walk instead!4. Hybrid CarsA Directions:You will hear a passage about an introduction to hybrid cars. Whilelistening for the first time, write down some key words in the notes column.B Directions:Listen to the passage again and decide whether the followingstatements are true or false.1) By hybrid cars, we mean the cars are mixes between cars which are powered by petrol and cars which are powered by electricity. ( T ) 2) You need to recharge a hybrid car every day by plugging it into an electrical outlet.( F ) 3) Hybrid cars typically emit half the polluting particles of a regular car.( T ) 4) Fuel economy is a term which means how much fuel you can save on one liter or gallon of petrol. ( F ) 5) Hybrid cars are cheaper compared with all-gas counterparts in terms of the cars themselves, repairing, etc. ( F ) TapescriptThe word hybrid means a mixture of two ‘species’. For example, it’s possible to breed a tiger and a lion, and the resulting offspring isn’t 100% tiger and isn’t 100% lion –it’s a hybrid, a mix between the two animals. When we talk about cars being hybrid, we mean they are mixes between cars which are powered by petrol and cars which are powered by electricity.Most vehicles are, technically, hybrids, as they have batteries which are responsible for starting the car and powering headlights and other accessories. Many bus systems use hybrid technology – they may be partly powered by petrol, and partly powered by overhead electrical lines. However, we tend to use the term hybrid today not to mean these types of vehicles, but rather a car which uses a battery (that is, electricity) t o keep the engine going so that it doesn’t need to use as much petrol as other cars.Many people think that you need to recharge a hybrid car every day by plugging it into an electrical outlet. This is not true –in fact the battery is automatically recharged when you use the car.It’s a bit complicated, but basically, the car takes the energy generated when you use the brakes and adds it to the battery. I will mention, however, that some car manufacturers are now adding this as an option – Owners of some models can plug in their car overnight and run on only electricity for short trips.So what are some arguments in favor of hybrids? Well, first of all, people today are interested in the environment, talk about the environment, are concerned about the environment, and want to view themselves as part of the solution, not part of the problem. Probably the most popular reason to buy hybrid cars is that it says something about your attitude towards environmental concerns. A driver of a hybrid car is advertising his or her concern for the environment and is signaling that he or she is doing their part to solve the problem of air pollution.Of course, hybrid cars do help reduce air pollution. Hybrid cars typically emit half the polluting particles of a regular car. Of course, we should note that electric cars, cars which run only on electricity, emit no polluting particles, and are thereforemuch more environmentally friendly than hybrids.Another reason might be overall cost. Hybrid cars have better fuel economy than regular petrol-powered cars. Fuel economy is a term which means, basically, how far you can go on one liter or gallon of petrol. If you can go farther with less petrol, you will save money in the long run. This is very important to some consumers due to rising petrol costs.Some governments subsidize this technology, that is, they support the development of the technology by giving consumers extra incentive to buy hybrid cars. For example, in some countries, you do not have to pay as much tax on the purchase of a hybrid car as you would have to on a regular car. This is generally called a tax break and is another reason why a cost-conscious consumer might buy a hybrid car.What are the downsides, then? Well, first of all, there is a general perception of hybrid cars as being less powerful than ordinary cars. It’s true that you will generally not get the same power out of a hybrid, so if you are one of those people who like driving fast, you may not enjoy driving a hybrid.The second thing most people bring up as a disadvantage is the price. Hybrids are pricey. In general, they are about 20 percent more expensive than their all-gas counterparts. There are signs that this will change in the future – that hybrids will become less expensive with time, but for t he moment, you’ll have to be prepared to pay more. In addition to this, getting your hybrid repaired, if it needs repairing, will be more of a hassle and more expensive as there are relatively few mechanics out there who can handle hybrid repairs. Replacement parts may not be as easy to obtain, further driving up the cost and time of repair.Part III WatchingDirection: The extract is taken from the documentary “Home”. Watch the video and answer the questions.1) Why is methane compared to a climatic time bomb?Because methane is a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.2)What will happen if the permafrost melts?If the permafrost melts, the methane underground will emit and the greenhouse effect will be out of control with consequences no one can predict.AudioscriptHere in Siberia and elsewhere across the globe, it is so cold that the ground is constantly frozen. It’s known as permafrost. Under its surface lies a climatic time bomb: methane, a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.If the permafrost melts, the methane released would cause the greenhouse effect to race out of control, with consequences no one can predict. We would literally be inunknown territory. Humanity has no more than 10 years to reverse the trend and avoid crossing into this territory?Life on Earth as we have never known it. We have created phenomena we cannot control. Since our origins, water, air and forms of life are intimately linked. But recently, we have broken those links. Let’s face the facts. We must believe what we know. All that we have just seen is a reflection of human behavior. We have shaped the Earth in our image. We have very little time to change. How can this century carry the burden of nine billion human beings... if we refuse to be called to account for everything we alone have done?Part IV Oral PracticeRole Play: An interview on TVDirections: You are interviewing an official with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as a host (hostess) at a local TV station. You put forward several questions concerning the environmental protection and methods different nations adopt to protect the earth.Possible questions for the host (hostess)—What do you think are the biggest problems facing the environment?—Do you think that global warming is caused by humans or part of the natural cycle of the earth?—Have any countries implemented any initiatives or policies to protect the environment, such as recycling, litter laws, etc.? Have they made any effects? —What do you think is more responsible for pollution, individual people or the government?—What do you think about the potential of alternative energy sources or renewable energy such as solar power, wind power and wave power?—Do you think overpopulation is an important issue?—What do you think of environmental groups like Greenspace?—According to a report, China’s investment in renewable energy grew 18% in 2007 to $15.6 billion, accounting for 10% of the global investment in this area. What do you think of this?—What can every individual do to protect our environment?Enrichment Reading (略)。

Unit 13Wisdom in the mind is better than money in the hand.P art ADirections：Read the following texts. Answer the questions blow each text by choosing [A],[B],[C] or [D].Text 1What is sports violence? The distinction between unacceptable viciousness and a game’s normal rough-and-tumble is impossible to make, so the argument runs. This position may appeal to our inclination for legalism, but the truth is most of us know quite well when an act of needless savagery has been committed, and sports are little different from countless other activities of life. The distinction is as apparent as that between a deliberately aimed blow and the arm failing of the losing his balance. When a player balls his hand into a fist, when he drives his helmet into an unsuspecting opponent in short, when he crosses the boundary between playing hard and playing to hurt—he can only intend an act of violence.Admittedly, rough acts in sports are difficult to police. But here, too, we find reflected the conditions of everyday life. Ambiguities in the law, confusion at the scene, and the reluctance of witnesses cloud almost any routine assault case. Such uncertainties, however, have not prevented society from arresting people who strike their fellow citizens on the street.Perhaps our troubles stem not from the games we play but rather from how we play them. The 1979 meeting between hockey stars from the Soviet Union and the National Hockey League provided a direct test of two approaches to sport—the emphasis on skill, grace, and technique by the Russians and the stress on brutality and violence by the NHL. In a startling upset, the Russians embarrassed their rough-playing opponents and exploded a long-standing myth: that success in certain sports requires excessive violence.Violence apologists cite two additional arguments. First, they say, sports always have been rough; today things are no different. But arguments in American’s Old West were settled on Main Street with six guns, and early cave dwellers chose their women with a club. Civilizing influences ended those practices; yet we are told sports violence should be tolerated. The second contention is that athletes accept risk as part of the game, and, in the case of professionals, are paid handsomely to do so. But can anyone seriously argue that being an athlete shouldrequire the acceptance of unnecessary physical abuse? And, exaggerated as it may seem, the pay of professional athletes presumably reflects their abilities, not a payment againstcombat injuries.“Clearly we are in deep trouble,”says perplexed former football player AL DeRogatis. “But how and w hy has it gotten so bad?”1. According to the author,deliberate violence in sports is[A] impossible to tell from paying hard.[B] ambiguous in any circumstances.[C] too apparent to escape observation.[D] evident if enough attention is paid to.2. A violence apologist probably thinks that[A] violence in sports is a rare occurrence.[B] violence in sports is not necessary.[C] athletes are paid enough for their injuries.[D] professional athletes enjoy violence.3. In the last paragraph the author indicates that[A] nothing can be done about violence in sports.[B] football players are concerned about violence in sports.[C] violence in sports is worse now than it ever was.[D] athletes are confused about what should be allowed in sports.4. According to the author,which of the following is true？[A] athletes’ personalities have effects on the inclination for violent.[B] athletes who emphasis on skill,grace and technique will win.[C] athletes should not have to accept unnecessary physical abuse[D] athletes need higher salaries to compensate for their injuries.5. We can infer from the text that[A] violence in sports is illegal.[B] skill is more important than aggression.[C] athletes should not be injured in sports.[D] violence in sports is not necessary.Text 2Bruno Lundby, 39, was one of the ranks of typically low-paid, low-status workers who fill supermarket shelves, serve fast food, change hotel beds or empty office waste bins, often at unsocial hours and with little expectation of anything better. Lacking formal qualifications, he drifted from the army into odd cleaning jobs. Then, unexpectedly, he found the opportunity for advancement in a management training program offered by ISS, the Danish support services group. Today he sits in a spotless, air-conditioned office supervising all ISS damage control operations in the greater Copenhagen area.“I couldn’t have imagined getting to where I am today when I started,”he says.“I was surprised to be offered a future at ISS in 1993 when I became a supervi sor.” In the past three years, he has been promoted three times.ISS, which employs 272,000 people in 36 countries in Europe, Asia and LatinAmerica in cleaning and other contract work, still appears to be an exception in the services sector in offering career progression to workers.The pursuit of customer satisfaction is a strong feature of companies that treat blue-collar staff as more than a commodity. Tesco, the supermarket group that is the UK’s largest private sector employer with 210,000 employees, recently formalized a practice of nurturing management potential among shelf-stackers and check-out staff.“The ones who respect customers are the ones who get on,”says Clare Chapman, human resources director. In the past five months, 245 employees have been promoted from general store assistant to section manager, 149 from section manager to senior store team and 33 from senior team to store manager. These staff are coached, assessed and then trained for their new responsibilities. The talent-spotting program applies to all staff, including 45,700 in Tesco’s overseas stores.ISS acknowledges that by offering career progression it has changed the nature of its contract with blue-collar employees, raising expectations on both sides that may not always be met.④For Mr. Lundby, career progress has induced loyalty to his employer and greater self-esteem.“Personal skills are often more important than high educational qualifications if you have to deal with people every day,” he says. “I’m a practical, not an academic person. I know the business from the bottom. I know the loopholes and the hardships.”6. It can be infered from paragraph 1 that Mr. Lundby[A] has anticipated his condition would be improved.[B] works hard but still has no chance to get improved.[C] has been promoted for he has formal qualifications.[D] had some of the toughest, dirtiest jobs before.7. Which of the following is true about the service sector?[A] Blue-collar workers in it have little chance to be promoted.[B] Companies in it always pursue customer satisfaction.[C] Companies in it always treat blue-collar staff as a commodity.[D] Workers in it have more chance to be promoted than in others8. In Tesco, employees will have chance to be promoted if[A] they are loyal to their employer.[B] they join management training program.[C] they make their customers satisfied.[D] they work as hard as they’re expected.9. By offering career progression to blue-collars,companies[A] will have more managers.[B] will be more competitive.[C] will have high expectations.[D] will have less responsibility.10. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?[A] The Story of Bruno Lundby.[B] Management Training Program.[C] Career Progression Inducing Self-esteem.[D] From Dead-end Job to Bright Career.Text 3The Internet, e-commerce and globalization are making a new economic era possible. By the middle of the 21st century, capitalist markets will largely be replaced by a new kind of economic system based on networked relationships, contractual arrangements and access rights.Has the quality of our lives at work, at home and in our communities increased in direct proportion to all the new Internet and business-to-business Intranet services being introduced into our lives? I have asked this question of hundreds of CEOs and corporate executives in Europe and the United States. Surprisingly, virtually everyone has said, “No, quite the contrary.” The very people responsible for ushering in what some have called a “technological renaissance”say they are working longer hours, feel more stressed, are more impatient, and are even less civil in their dealings with colleagues and friends — not to mention strangers. And what’s more revealing,they place much of the blame on the very same technologies they are so aggressively championing.The techno gurus promised us that access would make life more convenient and give us more time. Instead, the very technological wonders that were supposed to liberate us have begun to enslave us in a web of connections from which there seems to be no easy escape.If an earlier generation was preoccupied with the quest to enclose a vast geographic frontier, the dotcom generation, it seems, is more caught up in the colonization of time. Every spare moment of our time is being filled with some form of commercial connection, making time itself the most scarce of all resources. Our e-mail, voice mail and cell phones, our 24-hour electronic trading markets, online banking services, all-night e-commerce, and 24-hour Internet news and entertainment all holler for our attention.And while we have created every kind of labor-and-time-saving device to service our needs, we are beginning to feel like we have less time available to us than any other humans in history. That is because the great proliferation of labor-and-time-saving services only increases the diversity, pace and flow of commodified activity around us. For example, e-mail is a great convenience. However, we now find ourselves spending much of our day frantically responding to each other’s electronic messages. The cell phone is a great time-saver. Except now we are always potentially in reach of someone else who wants our attention.Social conservatives talk about the decline in civility and blame it on the loss of a moral compass and religious values. Has anyone bothered to ask whether the hyper-speed culture is making all of us less patient and less willing to listen and defer, consider and reflect?Maybe we need to ask what kinds of connections really count and what types of access really matter in the e-economy era. If this new technology revolution is only about hyper efficiency, then we risk losing something even more precious than time— our sense of what it means to be a caring human being.11.The author sugge sts that the most valuable resource in today’s society is[A] technology. [B] economic assets. [C] access to information. [D] time.12.According to the text, many corporate executives feel that[A] technological advances are essential to today’s economic s ystem.[B] technology has actually led to a decline in their quality of life.[C] longer hours are making their workers more impatient and uncivil.[D] technology can be blamed for many of today’s social problems.13.The phrase “the colonization of time” (Line 2, Para.4) refers to[A] the filling of every moment of our time.[B] the quest for efficiency in the workplace.[C] the growing use of time-saving services.[D] the impact of technology on our sense of time.14.In the sixth paragraph, the author suggests that[A] new technologies may make people more impatient.[B] social conservatives do not understand the importance of technology.[C] the speed of modern culture may impact our moral and religious values.[D] people in the technology sector are less civil than those in other fields.15.The best title for this text could be[A] The Failure of the Technological Renaissance.[B] Even Corporate Executives Get the Blues.[C] The New Internet Economy.[D] The Disadvantages of Too Much Access.Text 4The Net success of “Lazy Sunday” represents a defining moment for the film and television business. Advances in digital video and broadband have vastly lowered the cost of production and distribution. Filmmakers are now following the path blazed by bloggers and musicians, cheaply creating and uploading their work to the Web. If it appeals to any of the Net’s niches, millions of users will pass along their films through e-mail, downloads or links. It’s the dawn of the democratization of the TV and film business—even unknown personalities are being propelled by the enthusiasm of their fans into pop-culture prominence, sometimes without even traditional intermediaries like talent agents or film festivals.“This is like bypass surgery,” says Dan Harmon, a filmmaker whose mo nthly L.A.–based film club and Web site, Channel 101, lets members submit short videos, such as the recent 70s’ music mockumentary “Yacht Rock,” and vote on which they like best. “Finally we have a new golden age where the artist has a direct connection to the audience.”The directors behind “Lazy Sunday” embody the phenomenon.When the shaggy-haired Samberg, 27, graduated from NYU Film School in 2001, he faced the conventional challenge of crashing the gates of Hollywood. With his two childhood friends Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, he came up with an unconventional solution:they started recording music parodies and comic videos, and posting them to their Web site, .The material got the attention of producers at the old ABC sitcom “Spin City”, where Samberg and Taccone worked as low-level assistants; the producers sent a compilation to a talent agency. The friends got an agent, made a couple of pilot TV sketch shows for Comedy Central and Fox, featuring themselves hamming it up in nearly all the roles, and wrote jokes for the MTV Movie Awards. Even when the networks passed on their pilots, Samberg and his friends simply posted the episodes online and their fan base—at 40,000 unique visitors a month earlier this year —grew larger. Last August, Samberg joined the ”S NL” cast, and Schaffer and Taccone became writers. Now they share an office in Rockefeller Center and “are a little too cute for everyone,” Samberg says, “We are friends living our dream.”Short, funny videos like “Lazy Sunday” happen to translate online, but not everything works as well. Bite-size films are more practical than longer ones; comedy plays better than drama. But almost everything is worth trying, since the tools to create and post video are now so cheap, and ad hoc audiences can form around any sensibility, however eccentric.16. The sentence “It’s dawn of the democratization of…”(Line 5-6, Para.1) shows that[A] film and television business is enjoying an unprecedented success[B] the general public are playing an active role in pop-culture[C] filmmakers are showing great enthusiasm for success on the Web[D] e-mail, downloads or links are now the main means of film distribution17. Which of the following is true according to the text?[A] “Lazy Sunday” is the representative of realizing dream by the Net.[B] Artists should develop a direct relationship with the public.[C] Short videos on the Web would prove to be the most popular productions[D] The film and television business can be compared to a bypass surgery18. Samberg’s solution was unconventional because[A] newcomers were usually denied access to Hollywood[B] he and his two childhood friends got accepted into Hollywood[C] he recorded music parodies and comic videos all by himself[D] he and his friends created and uploaded their productions to their Web site19. Which of the following plays a key role in the Net success of “Lazy Sunday”?[A] Producers at the old ABC sitcom “Spin City”.[B] Conventions of Hollywood.[C] Comic nature of the video.[D] Eccentricity of audiences online.20. The text intends to tell us[A] the unexpected success of Samberg.[B] a new direction for TV and film business.[C] the reasons behind Sambeig’s su ccess.[D] a new phenomenon in pop-culture.Part BDirections: In the article, following sentences have been removed. For Questions 21-25, choose the most suitable one from the list [A]—[G] to fit into each of the numbered blank. There are two extra choices, which do not fit in any of the gaps.Many of the philosophers we have been reading in class seem to me to be hopelessly dated．Of course, it’s easy to become trapped in writing only for the period a person lives in, and a philosophy is necessarily dependent on the historical situation and the extent of man’s knowledge. 21.However, Victor Hugo said that if he were writing for his own time only, he would have to break his pen and throw it away. 22. And it seems to me that the most frequent objections to modern and pre modern philosophers come from the incompatibility of their philosophies with what is considered to be established scientific fact. For instance, Plato’s theory of forms does not, to me, seem to jibe with modern physics and cosmology. And although I can only vaguely glimpse, the psychology which underlies Kant, it seems to be highly questionable.23.After all, physics can give us insights into metaphysics, since both seek different ways to do the same thing； psychology, sociology, anthropology, and archeology can give us insights into epistemology； various “soft” sciences dealing with comparative cultures can provide food for thought in ethics, and so on.24. Sartre, although he developed some of his ideas from Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, probably could not have expounded those same ideas of existentialism in their times; Nietzsche, who popularized the idea that “God is dead”, could not have written in the time of Descartes; and Descartes could not have expressed his radically individualist ideas during the time of Plato.I suppose that my point, which I am being exceedingly long-winded about, is that philosophy does not (and should not, and must not) stand apart from the rest of the sciences. 25. Although the other sciences can provide us with data, observations, and theories, only philosophy can integrate those into a coherent whole, tell us what to do with them, or provide a meaningful context for using these facts in our daily lives.[A] In my view, application of Kant s epistemology and metaphysics could never produce an artificial intelligence capable of passing a Turing test.[B] Rather, Philosophy should be integrated with the rest of the sciences through a method of rational judgment. Rather than sailing behind, or next to but away from, the rest of the sciences, philosophy should be the flagship of the group.[C] And many of the philosophers who have existed over the course of the centuries have necessarily had to worry about governmental, church, or societal disapproval, censorship, or punishment.[D] History is, of course, necessary to any understanding of a philosophy: how it came about, what people did with it, etc.[E] Although some philosophical people are not necessarily considered asphilosophers today —but whose work was influential and instrumental in developing one of the social sciences (psychology, sociology, political science, education) or in advancing theoretical science (what is now called philosophy of science).[F] And so, it seems to me, the best way that a philosopher can keep from being dated is to be aware of scientific knowledge, and integrate it into philosophy. Of course, this necessitates an independent evaluation of the merits and drawbacks of a given scientific idea, which necessitates, in turn, a thorough knowledge of that theory.[G] And so, it seems to me that, in order for a philosopher to be relevant for the future as well as the present，he must take into account all of the objections to his philosophy which can be anticipated at the present time．Part CDirections: Read the following text carefully and then translate the underlined segments into Chinese.What are feelings for? Most nonscientists will find this a strange question. Feelings just are. They justify themselves. Emotions give meaning and depth to life. They need serve no other purpose in order to exist. 26)On the other hand, many evolutionary biologists, in contrast to animal behaviorists, acknowledge some emotions primarily for their survival function. For both animals and humans, fear motivates the avoidance of danger, love is necessary to care for young, and anger prepares one to hold ground. 27)But the fact that a behavior functions to serve survival need not mean that that is why it is done. Other scientists have attributed the same behavior to conditioning, to learned responses. Certainly reflexes and fixed action patterns can occur without feeling or conscious thought. A gull chick pecks at a red spot above it. The parent has a red spot on its bill; the chick pecks the parent’s bill. The gull parent feeds its chick when pecked on the bill. The baby gets fed. The interaction need have no emotional content.At the same time, there is no reason why such actions cannot have emotional content. In mammals, including humans, that have given birth, milk is often released automatically when a new baby cries. This is not under voluntary control; it is reflex. Yet this does not mean that feeding a new baby is exclusively reflex and expresses no feeling like love. Humans have feeling about their behavior even if it is conditioned or reflexive. 28)Yet since reflexes exist, and conditioned behavior is widespread, measurable, and observable, most scientists try to explain animal behavior using only these concepts. It is simpler.29)Pref erring to explain behavior in ways that fit science’s methods most easily, scientists have refused to consider any causes for animal behavior other than reflexive and conditioned ones. Scientific orthodoxy holds that what cannot be readily measured or tested cannot exist, or is unworthy of serious attention. But emotional explanations for animal behavior need not be impossibly complex or unstable. 30)They are just more difficult for the scientific method to verify in the usual ways, cleverer and more sophisticated approaches are called for. Most branches of science are more willing to make successive approximations to what may prove ultimately unknowable, rather than ignoring it altogether.做题点拨与全文翻译Part AText 1语境词汇1.viciousness n.恶意, 邪恶2.tumble n.混乱；跌倒 v.被绊倒3. inclination n. 倾斜，倾向；爱好4.legalism n.墨守成规；法律术语，条文5.ball v.把…捏成球n.球；舞会6.deliberately adv.故意地；慎重地7.police v.监督；守卫n.警察部门；警察8.ambiguity n.含糊不清；模棱两可的话9.cloud vt.使模糊；笼罩n.云；一群；阴影10.assault n. 攻击，突袭vt.殴打，袭击；强暴难句突破1. [In a startling upset], the Russians embarrassed their rough-playing opponents and exploded a long-standing myth: {that success in certain sports requires excessive violence}.【分析】复合句。

研究生英语阅读教程（基础级）第一章课后习题答案Lesson 1 Developing Your ReadingEfficiencyREADING SELECTIONAWorld English:A Blessing or a CurseI.READING COMPREHENSION1.B2.B3.C4.D5.A6.D7.C8.D9.C 10.CII.VOCABULARYA1.T h e r e h a s b e e n m u c h o p p o s i t i o n f r o m s o c i a l g r o u p s,f r o m t h e f a r m i ng c o m m u n i t y.A.s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d l y(直接地)B.n o t a b l y(显著地，尤其)C.v i r t u a l l y(事实上)D.e x c e p t i o n a l l y(例外地)正确答案：B译文:社会团体，尤其是农业团体，对此有许多反对意见。

2. T h e v i e w i n B r i t a i n a n d o t h e r W e s t e r n c o u n t r i e sa s s o c i a t e s a g i n g w i t h d e c l i n e,d e p e n d e n c y,i s o l a t i o n, a n d o f t e n p o v e r t y.A.p r e d o m i n a n t(占支配地位的)B.c r e d u l o u s(轻信的)C.i n c l u s i v e(包含的)D.s u s t a i n a b l e(可持续的)正确答案：A译文:英国和其他西方国家的主流观点认为，老龄化意味着衰落、依赖、孤立，而且往往是贫穷。

《研究生英语阅读教程》基础级第三版词汇（1-6）Unit One Efficient ReadingLesson1 Developing Your Reading EfficiencyREADING SELECTION AWorld English: A Blessing or a Curse?1.sizable adj. 相当大的2.Virtually adv. 几乎，差不多3.Constitute v. 形成，等同于4.Aggrandizement n. 扩张，增加5.Predominantly adv. 卓越地，支配地，主要地6.Default n. 疏忽，不履行7.Hegemonic adj. 霸权的8.Benign adj. 有利的9.Dispassionately adv. 平心静气地，不带偏见地10.Verdict n. 判断，裁决11.Straightforward adj. 明确的，清清楚楚的12.Aboriginal adj.土著的；（A-）澳大利亚土著居民的13.Adversely adv. 不利地14.Indigenous adj. 本土的，土生土长的15.Endanger v. 危害adj. 频于灭绝的16.Apparatus n. 组织，机构17.Apartheid n. 种族隔离18.Descent n. 血统，遗传19.Regime n. 政权20.Vernacular adj. 本国语的，方言的21.Invoke v. 引起，造成22.Point up 强调23.Take in 包括24.For good or (for) ill 无论好坏25.By and large 总的来说，大体上26.Die out 死光，绝种y sth. at the door of... 把某事归咎于（某人或某事）28.Leave aside 不谈论，将某一话题搁置一边29.Crystal clear 非常清楚的，显而易见的READING SELECTION BJumble of Conflicting Language Taboos1.jumble n. 混乱、杂乱的一堆2.Taboo n. 禁忌3.Oriental adj. 东方各国的4.Employ v. 用，使用5.Sponsor n. 发起者，主办方，赞助者6.Pejorative adj. 轻蔑的，贬低的7.Offensive adj. 无礼的，不敬的ndmass n. 大片陆地9.Oust v. 取代10.Unabashedly adv. 不脸红地，满不在乎地11.Proclaim v. 正式宣布，宣告12.Ancestry n. 祖先，祖系13.Ethnicity n. 种族特点，种族渊源14.Delicacy n. 精细，微妙15.Minefield n. 危险区，雷区16.Ideological adj. 意识形态的，思想方式的17.Rife adj. 充满的18.Multiracial adj. 多种族的19.Take on 具有，呈现20.At best 至多，充其量21.At worst 在最坏的情况下22.Give way 让路，让位23.Ill advised 没脑筋的，鲁莽的Lesson2 Developing Your Reading FlexibilityREADING SELECTION AYou’ve Got to Find What You Lovemencement n. 毕业典礼，学位授予典礼2.Drop-in n. 没有被邀请的来访或来访者；（在大学里）旁听或旁听生3.Adoption n. 收养4.Relent vi. 怜悯；变温和；变宽厚5.Naively adv. 不老练地；轻信地6.Intuition n.直觉7.Calligraphy n. 书法；笔迹；书法艺术8.Serif n.【印刷】衬线，截线（例如字母H的上下四根短而细的横线）9.Sans-serif 【印刷】无衬线，无截线10.Typeface n. 字体，字样；打字机字体11.Typography n. 凸版印刷术；排印；印刷样式12.Subtle adj. 微妙的；难以捉摸的；细微的13.Proportionally adv. 按比例地；想配合地；适当地14.Font n. 字体，字形15.Destiny n. 命运；天命；天数16.Karma n. 【宗】（佛教和印度教的）梵文“羯磨”的意译，即善恶行为所留下的一种无形的力；缘分，命运，宿缘17.Diverge vi. （道路等）分叉，（意见等）分歧，脱离18.Devastating adj. 毁灭性的19.Entrepreneur n. <法>创业者，企业家（尤指涉及财务风险的）20.Baton n. （田赛）接力棒21.Animate vt. 赋予。

READING SELECTION AWorld English: A Blessing or a Curse?Universal languageBy Tom McArthur[1] In the year 2000, the language scholar Glanville Price, a Welshman, made the following assertion as editor of the book Languages in Britain and Ireland:For English is a killer. It is English that has killed off Cumbric, Cornish, Norn and Manx. There are still parts of these islands where sizeable communities speak languages that were there before English. Yet English is everywhere in everyday use and understood by all or virtually(actually)all, constituting such a threat to the three remaining Celtic languages, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh... that their long-term future must be considered... very greatly at risk. (p 141) Some years earlier, in 1992, Robert Phillipson, English academic who currently (at the present/ at the moment) works in Denmark, published with Oxford a book entitled Linguistic Imperialism. In it, he argued that the major English-speaking countries, the worldwide English-language teaching industry, and notably (especially) the British Council pursue policies of linguistic aggrandisement. He also associated such policies with a prejudice which he calls linguicism[a condition parallel to(equal to/ similar to) racism and sexism]. As Phillipson sees it, leading institutions and individuals within the predominantly "white" English-speaking world, have[by design(=deliberately) or default(=mistake)] encouraged or at least tolerated—and certainly have not opposed—the hegemonic spread of English, a spread which began some (about)three centuries ago as (when) economic and colonial expansion.[2] Phillipson himself worked for some years for the British Council, and he is not alone among Anglophone academics who have sought to point up the dangers of English as a world language. The internationalization of English has in the last few decades been widely discussed in terms of three groups: first, the ENL countries, where English is a native language (this group also being known as the "inner circle"); second, the ESL countries, where English is a second language (the "outer circle"); and third, the EFL countries, where English is a foreign language (the "expanding circle"). Since the 1980s, when such terms became common, this third circle has in fact expanded to take in the entire planet.[3]For good or for ill, there has never been a language quite like English. There have been many "world languages", such as Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit.By and large, we now view them as more or less benign, and often talk with admiration and appreciation about the cultures associated with them and what they have given to the world. And it is fairly (very) safe to do this, because none of them now poses much of a threat.[4] English however is probably (perhaps) too close for us to be able to analyze and judge it as dispassionately (objectively), as we may now discuss the influence of Classical Chinese on East Asia or of Classical Latin on Western Europe. The jury is still out in the trial of the English language, and may take several centuries to produce its verdict, but even so we can ask, in this European Year of Languages, whether Price and Phillipson are right to warn us all about the language that I am using at this very moment. [warn sb. of sth.][5] It certainly isn't hard(difficult) to look for situations (examples) where people might call English a curse. An example is Australia, which is routinely regarded as a straightforward English-speaking country. The first Europeans who went there often used Latin to describe and discuss the place. The word Australia itself is Latin; evidently(Obviously/ Apparently)no one atthe time thought of simply calling it "Southland" (which is what Australia means). In addition (besides), in South Australia there is a wide stretch of land called the Nullarbor Plains, the first word of which sounds Aboriginal, but nullarbor is Latin and means "no trees". And most significantly of all, the early settlers called the continent a terra nullius. According to the Encarta World English Dictionary (1999) the Latin phrase terra nullius means:... the idea and legal concept that when the first Europeans arrived in Australia the land was owned by no one and therefore open to settlement. It has been judged not to be legally valid.But that judgment was made only recently. When the Europeans arrived, Australia was thinly populated—but populated nonetheless (from then on)—from coast to coast in every direction. There were hundreds of communities and languages. Many of these languages have died out, many more are in the process of dying out, and these dead and dying languages have been largely replaced (substituted) by either kinds of pidgin English or general Australian English. Depending on your point of view, this is either a tragic loss or the price of progress.[6] At the same time, however, can the blame for the extinction of Aboriginal languages be laid specifically at the door of English? The first Europeans to discover Australia were Dutch, and their language might have become the language of colonization and settlement. Any settler language could have had the same effect. If for example the Mongols had sustained their vast Eurasian empire, Mongolian might have become a world language and gone to Australia. Again, if history had been somewhat (a little) different, today's world language might have been Arabic, a powerful language in West Asia and North Africa that currently affects many smaller languages, including Coptic and Berber. Spanish has adversely (negatively) affected indigenous languages in so-called "Latin" America, and Russian has spread from Europe to the Siberian Pacific. If English is a curse and a killer, it may only be so in the sense (meaning) that any large language is likely(possible)to influence and endanger smaller languages.[7] Yet many people see (consider/ regard) English as a blessing. Let me leave aside here the obvious advantages possessed by any world language, such as a large communicative network, a strong literary and media complex (network), and a powerful cultural and educational apparatus (organization). Let us instead look at something rather different: the issue (problem) of politics, justice, and equality. My object (target) lesson this time is South Africa. Ten years ago, South Africa ceased (stopped) to be governed on principles of racial separateness, a system known in Afrikaans (a language derived from Dutch) as apartheid. The system arose (occurred) because the Afrikaner community—European settlers of mainly Dutch descent—saw themselves as superior to the indigenous (native) people of the land they had colonized.[8] English-speaking South Africans of British descent were not particularly strong in opposing the apartheid regime (rule), and the black opposition, whose members had many languages, was at first weak and disorganized. However, the language through which this opposition gained (obtained/ got) strength and organization was English, which became for them the key language of freedom and unity, not of oppression. There are today eleven official languages in South Africa—English, Afrikaans, and nine vernacular languages that include Zulu, Ndebele, and Setswana. But which of these nine do black South Africans use (or plan to use) as their national lingua franca? Which do they wish their children to speak and write successfully (in addition to their mother tongues)? The answer is none of the above. They want English, and in particular(especially/specifically)theywant a suitably Africanized English.[9] So, a curse for the indigenous peoples of Australia and something of a blessing for those in South Africa...[10] How then should we think of English in our globalizing world with its endangered diversities? The answer, it seems to me, is crystal clear. Like many things, English is at times(often) a blessing and at times a curse—for individuals, for communities (society), for nations, and even for unions of nations. The East Asian symbolism of yin and yang might serve(illustrate)well here: There is something of yang in every yin,of yin in every yang. Although they are opposites, they belong together: in this instance (case) within the circle of communication. Such symbolism suggests (shows) that the users of the world's lingua franca should seek to benefit as fully as possible from the blessing and as far as possible avoid invoking the curse. (1, 292 words)ABOUT THE AUTHORDr. Tom McArthur is founder editor of the Oxford Companion to the English Language (1992) and the quarterly English Today:The International Review of the English Language (Cambridge, 1985—). His more than 20 published works include the Longman Lexicon of Contemporary English (1981),Worlds of Reference: Language, Lexicography and Learning from the Clay Tablet to the Computer (1986), and The English Languages (1998). He is currently Deputy Director of the Dictionary Research Center at the University of Exeter.EXERCISESI. Reading ComprehensionAnswer the following questions or complete the, following statements.1. It can be inferred from Glanville Price's statement that he is ______.A. happy that English is everywhere in Britain and IrelandB. worried about the future of the remaining Celtic languagesC. shocked by the diversity of languages in Britain and IrelandD. amazed that many people in the UK still speak their Aboriginal languages2. Cumbric is used as an example of ______.A. a local dialectB. a victim of the English languageC. a language that is on the verge of extinctionD. a language that is used by only a limited number of people3. Which of the following is the major concern of the book Linguistic Imperialism?A. English teaching overseas.B. British government's language policies.C. Dominance of English over other languages.D. The role of English in technology advancement.4. Both Price and Phillipson are ______.A. government officialsB. advocates of linguistic imperialismC. in support of language policies carried out by the British CouncilD. concerned about the negative effect of English on smaller languages5. According to the text, the EFL countries ______.A. are large in numberB. is known as the "outer circle"C. will be endangered by EnglishD. have made English their official language6. According to McArthur, Chinese is different from English in that ______.A. it has made a great contribution to the worldB. it has had positive influence on other languagesC. it may result in the disappearance of other languagesD. it probably will not endanger the existence of other languages7. When he said the jury is out in the trial" (Line 3, Paragraph 4), McArthur meant ______.A. punishment is dueB. the jury is waiting for a trialC. no decision has been made yetD. there is no one to make the decision8. Australia might be used as an example to show that ______.A. languages are changing all the timeB. some English words are derived from LatinC. English has promoted the progress of some nationsD. English should be blamed for the extinction of smaller languages9. Many people see English as a blessing for people in ______.A. AustraliaB. East AsiaC. South AfricaD. ESL countries10. The main theme of this speech is that ______.A. English should be taught worldwideB. English as a world language does more harm than goodC. we should be objective to the internationalization of EnglishD. we should be aware of(realize)the danger of English as a world languageB. Questions on global understanding and logical structures1. Why does McArthur introduce Glanville Price and Robert Phillipson's points of view on the spread of English? What is his? Intention?McArthur quotes Price’s assertion and cites Pillipson’s viewpoint on the spread of English as sort of cons to initiate his argument. Cons are usually popularly believed arguments or opinions that are against the author’s point of view. Cons are commonly used writing techniques and are often employed in order to appeal the audience and highlight the author’sviewpoint.2. Does McArthur agree with what Price and Phillipson argued? From as early as which section does McArthur show his attitude? Toward the dominance of English as a world English?No. McArthur’s opinion is different from Price and Pillipson’s arguments. He doesn’t believe that English is a killer and should be blamed for the extinction of smaller languages. He sees English as both a blessing and a curse, maybe as a blessing more than a curse. After introducing Price and Pillipson’s viewpoints, McArthur writes about his own ideas on the issue of English as a world language. From the sentence “For good or for ill, th ere has never been a language quite like English”, we can learn that McArthur does not curse English like Price and Pillipson and he has a different point of view.3. By reading "It certainly isn't hard to look for situations where people might call English a curse", could we conclude that McArthur believes English is a curse?No. This sentence is a kind of justification. Although McArthur literally justifies the fact that there are situations where people might call English a curse, he doesn’t believe th at English is virtually a curse. By adding the word “certainly” McArthur shows his intent.4. Could you pick up some words and expressions that signal change or continuation in McArthur's thought?“For good or for ill”(paragraph 3) /“however”(paragraph4) /“But”(paragraph 5) / “At the same time, however”(paragraph 6) /“Yet”(paragraph 7)5. How many parts can this speech be divided? How are the parts organized?Part One: paragraphs 1 and 2. These two paragraphs introduce the situation that many academics argue against English as a world language.Part Two: paragraphs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Paragraph three is a transitional paragraph that initiates McArthur’s own argument. In these paragraphs McArthur argues that English is not only a curse as many people have believed, but a blessing as well.Part Three: paragraph 10. McArthur concludes in the last paragraph that English may be a curse or a blessing depends on different situations and we should make advantages of world languages and avoid their disadvantages.II. VocabularyA. Choose the best word from the four choices to complete each of the following sentences.1. There has been much opposition from some social groups, ______ from the farming community.A. straightforwardlyB. notably(especially)C. virtuallyD. exceptionally2. The ______ view in Britain and other Western countries associates aging with decline, dependency, isolation, and often poverty (property).A. predominantB. credulousC. inclusive(<->exclusive)D. sustainable3. But gifts such as these cannot be awarded to everybody, either by judges or by the most___ of governments./ reward rewarding [a gifted / talented person]A. toughB. demandingC. diverseD. benign (kind)4. The foreman read the ______ of guilty fourteen times,one for each defendant.A. prejudiceB. verificationC. verdictD. punishment5. They fear it could have a(n) ______ effect on global financial markets.A. sizeableB. adverse(negative)C. beneficialD. consequential6. The UN threatened to ______ economic sanctions if the talks were broken off.A. engageB. pursueC. abandon/ abundantD. invoke7. There are at least four crucial differences between the new ______ and the old government.A. regimeB. hegemonyC. complexD. federation/ fedal<->federal, confederate)8. These questions ______ a challenge to established attitude of superiority toward the outside world.A. evolveB. constituteC. tolerateD. aroused9. Because of this, a strong administrative ______ was needed to plan the use of scarce resources, organize production and regulate distribution.A. apparatusB. constitutionC. insistenceD. promotion10. I learnt that there are no genuinely ______ animals in this area, all the animals were brought here from other places.A. endangeredB. domesticated (tamed)C. indigenousD. extinctB. Choose the hest word or expression from the list given for each Honk Use each word or expression only once and make proper changes where necessary.point up by and large take in descent for good or illleave aside crystal clear die out endanger lay... at the door of1. The book concludes with a review of the possible impact (influence) of more intimate computers for good or ill, in various areas of human life.2. Moreover, it had become clear from the opinion polls that the unpopularity of the new tax was being laid at the door of the government which had introduced it, rather than the local authorities who were responsible for levying and collecting it.3. This case gave the example of breaking someone's arm: that is a really serious injury, but one which is unlikely to endanger the victim's life.4. Many of those who hold it live in poor areas and some are Colored, that is (=i.e./ namely), of mixed European and African descent.5. This debate is important because it points up (stress/ emphasize) that "the facts" are not necessarily as simple and straightforward as they might at first sight seem.6. In the beginning, the meaning of life might be debated, but once past the first period, many of the conversations follow a well-worn route from one topic to the next and back again,taking in most of human life. [worn-out]7. But since agriculture forms the basis (base) of our industry, it was,by and large (on the whole), also an intensification of the crisis in the national economy in general.8. Let us leave aside other relevant factors such as education, career structure, pay and conditions of service and concentrate on(focus on)manpower management. (relate A to B)9. It is true that the exact nature of this issue is uncertain. However, one thing is crystal clear: itwill not endanger the planet and its inhabitants. (habitat)10. But if animal populations are too small, then they simply die out.III. ClozeThere are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and choose the best answer from the four choices given for each blank. [(criterion) criteria: (1)semantic/(2)grammatical]A simplified form of the English language based on 850 key words was developed in the late 1920s by the English psychologist Charles Kay Ogden and1by the English educator I. A. Richards. Known as Basic English, it was used mainly to teach English to non-English-speaking persons and2as an international language. The complexities of English spelling and grammar, however, were major 3to the adoption of Basic English as a second language.The fundamental principle of Basic English was that any idea,4complex, may be reduced to simple units of thought and expressed clearly by a limited number of everyday words. The 850-word primary vocabulary was5600 nouns (representing things or events), 150 adjectives (for qualities and_ 6), and 100 general "operational" words, mainly verbs and prepositions. Almost all the words were in7use in English-speaking countries. More than 60 percent of them were one-syllable words. The basic vocabulary was created8by eliminating numerous words which have the same or similar meanings and by9 the use of 18 "basic" verbs, such as make, get, do, have, and be.These verbs were generally combined with prepositions, such as up, among, under, in, and forward. For example, a Basic English student would use the expression“go up”10 "ascend".1. A. created B. publicized C. invented D. operated2. A. proved B. provided C. projected D. promoted3. A. advantages B. objections C. obstacles D. facileties4. A. however B. whatever C. wherever D. whenever5. A. comprised of B. made of C. composed of D. constituted of6. A. personalities B. properties C. preferences D. perceptions/ perceive)7. A. common B. ordinary C. average D. nonprofessional8. A. in all B. at times C. for good D. in part/ partially)9. A. experiencing B. exchanging C. excluding D. extending10. A. in spite of=despite B. in favor of C. instead of D. in case ofII. TranslationPut the following passages into Chinese.1. For English is a killer. It is English that has killed off Cumbric, Cornish, Norn and Manx. There are still parts of these islands where sizeable communities speak languages that were there before English. Yet English is everywhere in everyday use and understood by all or virtually all, constituting such a threat to the three remaining Celtic languages, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Welsh... that their long-term future must be considered... very greatly at risk.因为英语是个杀手。

V ocabulary: Choice QuestionC 。

1The Car Connectivity Consortium was founded under U.S. law as a limited liability corporation. CA assetsB businessC responsibilityD investmentC ）2Suffering was easier to bear than the bitterness he felt corroding his spirit.CA inspiringB revealingC destroyingDreleasing2、Reading Comprehension: Choice QuestionB The "black swan" in Paragraph 4 means that the thing in question________.A is preciousBrarely happensCis only our dreamD catches our attention4）A By "the pattern seems clear" (Paragraph 1), the author implies that what happened at Deepwater Horizon________.A has its unique reasonsB is not an isolated eventC is avoidable if taken seriouslyD is unavoidable no matter what5）A By "it would be foolish to think that the only risks we are still underestimating are the ones that have suddenly become salient" in Paragraph 9, the author means to stress that________.A there are also risks in fields other than the oil industryB there are more risks in the oil industry than we have knownC we no longer underestimate the risks in the oil industryD we should be careful not to underestimate the risks again in the future.A 6）The author describes in detail the greenhouse gas effect to________.A re mind people of the possible risks aheadB t ry to persuade the global warming skepticsC tell people to face reality and take initiativesD convince people of the reliability of his information3、V ocabulary: Choice Question7）D）Sales are reminiscent of the 2008 holiday season when merchandise was marked down 50% to 80%. Aback fromB different fromCbetter thanD similar to4、Reading Comprehension: Choice QuestionC The author specifically mentions Joe Barton's criticism of BP to emphasize that________.A public opinions matter in the case of the oil spillsB the oil industry should impose pressure on BPC BP has indeed made unforgivable wrong decisionsD the fight against the oil industry is inconsistent5、V ocabulary: Choice Question9）D ou agree to waive the claim, which speaks well for your friendly attitude and close cooperation.A startB continueC changeD quit6、Reading Comprehension: Choice Question10 B Things with the high stakes________.A should be left to the market aloneB can be better handled with government helpC can be better solved by the market than the governmentD may be made worse by government intervention11）D Michael Greenstone would summarize the role played by the 1990 law as________.A beneficialB unpredictableC negligibleD adverse12 D The author's purpose in writing the article is to________.A call on the public to condemn the oil industryB offer solutions to the problems in the oil industryC expose the deal between the industry and the governmentD analyze the reasons behind the oil disasters and issue warnings7、Cloze13）.（20分）There are ten blanks in the following passage. Read the passage carefully and choose the right word or phrase from the list given below for each of the blanks. Change the form if necessary.unexpected regardless of necessarily puzzle altersevere come up with shrink wisdom tendResearchers in California have found that birds around San Francisco Bay have slowly gotten bigger over the last 27 to 40 years. The finding is certainly interesting—because it counters some conventional_ _ wisdom 1__on how animals respond to climate change.A well-known ecological rule, called Bergmann's Rule, states that animals__ tend 2__to be larger at higher latitudes. It is believed that this occurs because larger animals are better able to conserve body heat. Bergmann's Rule, then, would suggest that animals will__ shrink 3__in size as their native climates get warmer."We had the good fortune to find a(n)_ unexpected _4__result," Rae Goodman, the researcher at the SanFrancisco State who led the study explained, "but we were then left with the_ puzzle _5__of figuring out what was going on."They__6 come up with __several possibilities, all indicating that birds—and ultimately other animals—may respond to climate change in unexpected ways. One theory is that the larger body size was caused by fat stores which have increased in response to__ severe7__weather events. Another was that changes in plant ecology could have__ altered 8__the birds' diet, leading to increased body sizes.__ Regardless of 9__the specific mechanism, it is clear that climate change is causing significant shifts in traits—like body size—that don't usually exhibit much flexibility.Though the finding was unexpected, however, it was not _ necessarily _10__ all bad news. "It gave me a little more hope," Study Co-Author Gretchen LeBuhn explained, "that these birds are able to respond—hopefully in time—to changes in climate."8、V ocabulary: Choice Question14）B About 1% to 2% of the population are affected by temporary loss of smell: drugs, pollution and pregnancy can all distort the senses.A work withB interfere withC associate withD come with15 A Humans have trouble evaluating risks that are not salient.A noticeableB uniqueC acceptableD real9、V ocabulary: Blank Filling）Choose the best word or expression from the list given for each blank. Use each word or expression only once and make proper changes where necessary.1. The Secretary of State for Environment has the power to_ cap _1__councils which plan to spend excessively.2. __2 In the wake of __two heart surgeries, Clinton, 65, has lost 25 pounds and appears fit.3. Ernest seems to have as many lives as the__ proverbial3__cat.4. Most of my worries__ stem from 4__wondering whether or not I'm pleasing the woman I'm with.5. At room temperature, the__ odds 5__of that happening are once in a billion years.6. It is very wet here, a big surprise_ given _6__the fact this is a polar desert.7. Celebrity sometimes makes people think they are fireproof: their fans love them__ come what may 7__.8. _ Far from _8__being relaxed, we both felt so uncomfortable that we hardly spoke.9. If anything, money spent on political donations and lobbying holds more__ sway 9__when it is unexamined.10. __ In retrospect 10__, I wished I had thought about alternative courses of action.10、Reading Comprehension: Choice Question17）C People's fear of planes after the 9/11 attacks________.A is understandableB drives them crazyC cannot be fully justifiedD proves to be well-grounded11、V ocabulary: Choice Question18）B His wife set about upbraiding him for neglecting the children.A encouragingB criticizingC understandingD hating19）A For the would-be online criminals, the likelihood of their getting caught and punished is vanishingly small, yet the profits are great.A extremelyB probablyC unfortunatelyD slightly20）C Do you look forward to old age, or do you dread frailty, loss of memory and dependence on others?A lonelinessB povertyC weaknessD illness12、Reading Comprehension: Choice Question21 D How might Robert Stavins comment on the BP executives and their mistakes?A Nobody in their right mind would make such mistakes.B They have everything in their power to avoid the mistakes.C These mistakes are actually beyond human control.D These mistakes, though serious, reflect common human weakness.13、V ocabulary: Choice Question22）D I greatly enjoy these meetings unless I have to make a speech, in which case I'm in a state of dreadful anxiety.A unexpectedB naturalC understandableD terrible。