问答题Questions 7～10 Beijing had its coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap since 1981. And freezing weather is gripping the Deep South, including Florida"s orange groves and beaches. Whatever happened to global warming? Such weather doesn"t seem to fit with warnings from scientists that the Earth is warming because of greenhouse gases. But experts say the cold snap doesn"t disprove global warming at all— it"s just a blip in the long-term heating trend. "It"s part of natural variability," said Gerald Meehl, a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. "With global warming", he said, "we"ll still have record cold temperatures. We"ll just have fewer of them. " Deke Arndt of the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N. C. , noted that 2009 will rank among the 10 warmest years for Earth since 1880. Scientists say man-made climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes, such as heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and even cold spells. But experts did not connect the current frigid blast to climate change. So what is going on? "We ba ically have seen just a big outbreak of Arctic air" over populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere, Arndt said. "The Arctic air has really turned itself loose on us. " In the atmosphere, large rivers of air travel roughly west to east around the globe between the Arctic and the tropics. This air flow acts like a fence to keep Arctic air confined. But recently, this air flow has become bent into a pronounced zigzag pattern, meandering north and south. If you live in a place where it brings air up from the south, you get warm weather. In fact, record highs were reported this week in Washington state and Alaska. But in the eastern United States, like some other unlucky parts of the globe, Arctic air is swooping down from the north. And that"s how you get a temperature of 3 degrees in Beijing, a reading of minus-42 in mainland Norway, and 18 inches of snow in parts of Britain, where a member of Parliament who said the snow "clearly indicates a cooling trend" was jeered by colleagues. The zigzag pattern arises naturally from time to time, but it is not clear why it"s so strong right now, said Michelle L"Heureux, a meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The center says the pattern should begin to weaken in a week or two.

问答题Passage 1: 　　We have made significant strides in implementing the policies needed to take advantage of the new opportunities of development. We become more and more aware that these opportunities are indeed embedded in this serious economic crises. We are very confident that our skilled work force provides a strong foundation for future growth. And we are convinced that this work force allowed this country to become fa major center for advanced technology products in the world.　 　　In recent years, we further opened up our economy and China is now our number one trading partner. And our prudent financial policies and low level of public debt have positioned us well to address the challenges of the current crisis. All in all, we can look to the future with self-confidence that an economic U-turn is not only achievable, but also immediate. Of course, we will require perseverance in implementing our industrial restructuring and financial reform agenda.

问答题 Directions: Read the following passages and then answer IN COMPLETE SENTENCES the questions which follow each passage. Use only information from the passage you have just read and write your answer in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET. Questions 1～3 The greatest impact of LED-based lighting could be in developing countries, where it can be powered by batteries or solar panels. While trekking in Nepal in 1997, Dave Irvine-Halliday was struck by the plight of rural villagers having to rely on smelly, dim and dangerous kerosene lanterns to light their homes. Hoping to make a difference, Dr Irvine-Halliday, a professor of electrical engineering at the University of Calgary in Canada, founded the Light Up The World Foundation. The non-profit organization has since helped to distribute low-power, white light-emitting diodes (LEDs), at low cost or free, to thousands of people around the globe. About 1.6 billion people worldwide are without access to electricity and have to rely on fuel-based sources for lighting. But burning fuel is not only extremely expensive—$ 40 billion is spent on off-the-grid lighting in developing countries a year—it is also highly inefficient and contributes to indoor air pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases. If people switched from using fuel-based lamps to solar-powered LEDs, carbon-dioxide emissions could be reduced by up to 190m tonnes per year, reckons Evan Mills, a staff scientist at America's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. That is equivalent to one-third of Britain's annual carbon-dioxide emissions. LEDs are an ideal off-the-grid light source because they need so little power. They can be run on AA batteries, or batteries recharged using small solar arrays. Compared with kerosene lanterns, LEDs can deliver up to 100 times more useful light to a task, besides being extremely long-lasting. All this adds up to a life-changing impact for the lamps' owners, ranging from increased work productivity, more time to study at night and reduced health problems and fire hazards. Several firms are getting ready to tap into this underserved market. Cosmos Ignite Innovations, a spin-out from Stanford University that is now based in New Delhi, India, has developed the MightyLight, a solar-powered LED-based lamp that is waterproof, portable and runs for up to 12 hours. So far, Cosmos has sold nearly 5,000 of its $ 50 lamps to various charities. Another company, Better Energy Systems of Berkeley, California, is testing LED add-ons that might work well with its Solio, a portable solar array that can also be used to charge mobile phones and other devices. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-sector investment arm of the World Bank, recently secured $ 5.4m in financing for "Lighting the Bottom of the Pyramid", a four-year initiative that will engage lighting manufacturers with pilot projects in Kenya and Ghana. One task is to make LEDs affordable, says Dr Mills, who is a consultant on the IFC project. Households in rural Kenya, for example, spend an average of $ 7 a month on kerosene for lighting. Although the cost of a solar-powered LED lamp over its lifetime is much less than the cumulative cost of fuel, many people cannot afford the initial $ 25 to $ 50 outlay for such a lamp. If that hitch could be ironed out—via microfinance, perhaps—the payoff could be bright.

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问答题中华民族历来尊重人的尊严和价值。还在遥远的古代，我们的先人就已提出“民为贵”的思想，认为“天生万物，唯人为贵”，社会的发展和进步，取决于人的发展和进步，取决于人的尊严的维护和价值的发挥。今天中国所焕发出来的巨大活力，是中国人民拥有广泛自由、民主的生动写照。 　　中国确保十三亿多人的生存权和发展权，是对世界人权事业的重大贡献。集体人权与个人人权、经济文化权利与公民政治权利紧密结合和协调发展，这适合中国国情，是中国人权事业发展的必然道路。

问答题上海合作组织的成功经验，归结到一点，就是坚定不移地倡导和实践互信、互利、平等、协商、尊重多样文明、谋求共同发展的“上海精神”。“上海精神”已植根于各成员国的对外政策、价值观念和行为准则之中，越来越具有普遍的国际意义。 纵观当今世界，和平、发展、合作已成为时代潮流，但各种传统和非传统安全威胁因素相互交织。树立互信、互利、平等，协作的新安全观，维护各国的独立、主权和民族尊严，尊重世界多样性，成为各国人民越来越强烈的要求和呼声。

问答题What challenges are the online retailers now faced with?

问答题 Some decades ago, the powers declared that employee diversity was a good thing, as desirable as double-digit profit margins. It's proving just as difficult to achieve. Companies try all sorts of things to attract and promote minorities and women. They hire organizational psychologists. They staff booths at diversity fairs. They host dim-sum brunches and salsa nights. The most popular—and expensive—approach is diversity training, or workshops to teach executives to embrace the benefits of a diverse staff. Too bad it doesn't work. A groundbreaking new study by three sociologists shows that diversity training has little to no effect on the racial and gender mix of a company's top ranks. Frank Dobbin of Harvard, Alexandra Kalev of the University of California, Berkeley, and Erin Kelly of the University of Minnesota sifted through decades of federal employment statistics provided by companies. Their analysis found no real change in the number of women and minority managers after companies began diversity training. That's right—none. Networking didn't do much, either. Mentorships did. Among the least common tactics, one—assigning a diversity point person or task force—has the best record of success. "Companies have spent millions of dollars a year on these programs without actually knowing, Are these efforts worth it?" Dobbin says. "In the case of diversity training, the answer is no." The law is one reason that employers favor diversity training. In the wake of whopping settlements in race-discrimination suits against large companies, including Texaco and Coca- Cola, over the past decade, employers believe that having a program in place can show a judge that they are sincerely fighting prejudice. But this too is a myth, says Dobbin. "I don't know of a single case where courts gave credit for diversity training.” Social psychologists have many theories to explain why diversity training doesn't work as intended. Studies show that any training generates a backlash and that mandatory diversity training in particular may even activate a bias. Researchers also see evidence of "irresistible stereotypes", or biases so deeply ingrained that they simply can't be taught away in a one-day workshop. Consultants on diversity insist that the training they give has value. R. Roosevelt Thomas, founder of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, says corporate America must first redefine the word. "Diversity means differences and similarities," he says, be they in race, gender or corporate culture. He teaches executives to focus on skills and not familiarity. "In a foxhole, I want someone who can shoot," he says. "I don't care where they're from. Some folks have to be reminded of that." So what does work? The study's findings in this area were striking too.. at companies that assigned a person or committee to oversee diversity, ensuring direct accountability for results, the number of minorities and women climbed 10% in the years following the appointment. Mentorships worked too, particularly for black women, increasing their numbers in management 23.5 %. Most effective is the combination of all these strategies, says Dobbin. In practice, companies find that a multipronged approach leads to results. General Electric initiated an aggressive diversity strategy under former CEO Jack Welch that included employee networks, regular planning forums, formal mentoring, and recruiting at colleges popular with minorities. Perhaps most significantly, GE appointed a chief diversity officer, Deborah Elam. In 2000, women, minorities and non-U.S. citizens made up 22% of GE's officers and 29% of senior executives. By 2005, their ranks swelled to 34% among officers and 40% of senior execs. "Training just to train is not enough," says Elam. "You've got to have accountability at the top." Accountability for the careers of women and minorities requires a substantial commitment of time, staff and money—but so does diversity training. And only one works.

问答题为了实现发展目标，中国根据本国国情和时代要求明确了自己的发展理念，这就是树立和贯彻以人为本、全面协调可持续发展的科学发展观，统筹城乡发展、统筹区域发展、统筹经济社会发展、统筹人与自然和谐发展、统筹国内发展和对外开放，更加注重解决民生问题，更加注重克服发展的不平衡性，更加注重解决发展中存在的突出矛盾，致力于走科技含量高、经济效益好、资源消耗低、环境污染少、人力资源优势得到充分发挥的新型工业化道路，推进经济建设、政治建设、文化建设、社会建设协调发展，努力实现生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展格局。

问答题我们应该牢记国际金融危机的深刻教训，正本清源，对症下药，本着简单易行、便于问责的原则推进国际金融监管改革，建立有利于实体经济发展的国际金融体系。要强调国际监管核心原则和标准的一致性，同时要充分考虑不同国家金融市场的差异性，提高金融监管的针对性和有效性。 我们要牢牢把握强劲、可持续、平衡增长三者的有机统一。我们应该积极推动强劲增长，注重保持可持续增长，努力实现平衡增长。实现世界经济强劲、可持续、平衡增长是一个长期复杂的过程，不可能一蹴而就，既要持之以恒、坚定推进，也要照顾到不同国家国情，尊重各国发展道路和发展模式的多样性。

问答题The price of crude oil hit an all-time high early in April. The surge in oil price harms virtually all consumers and industries. Nevertheless, according to Wharton finance professor Jeremy Siege, record high prices are not as bad as they look. "The major reason for that is we have become much more energy efficient." Topic: The rising price of oil Questions for Reference: 1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the rising price of oil on the economic development? 2. Why does the price of oil fluctuate? What can we do to reduce the negative effects to the least? 3. What does Prof. Siege mean when he says we are more energy efficient?

问答题Directions: In this part of the test, you will hear 5 sentences in English. You will hear the sentences only once. After you have heard each sentence, translate it into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space on your Answer Sheet.

问答题It is said that how a society treats its most vulnerable is a measure of its humanity. When we apply this measure to the availability of books to those with visual impairments and those with learning or physical disabilities, we are confronted with what can only be described as a "hook famine." According to the World Blind Union, approximately one in every 200 people on Earth—39 million of us—cannot see. Another 246 million have severely reduced vision. These "visually impaired persons" or "persons with a print disability" can access an estimated 10% of all written information and literary works that sighted people can read. Poorly designed or inaccessible books also limit reading and comprehension of those who have learning disabilities. According to the International Dyslexia Association, 35% of the school population requires special accommodations and support. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities marks a paradigm shift in recognizing the right of disabled people to access books, knowledge and cultural life on an equal basis as others. With the framework of the convention, UNESCO is working to promote a better understanding of issues related to disability and to mobilize support for the recognition of the dignity, rights and wellbeing of persons with disabilities and of the benefits of their integration in society. This is the spirit guiding Conakry, Guinea, which has been designated World Book Capital 2017, in recognition of its programme to promote reading among youth and underprivileged sections of the population.

问答题We live longer lives now. In fact, by 2036, it is estimated that older people 65 years and older will account for 1/5 of the population.

问答题Japan"s once enviable jobless rate will soar to double-digit levels if—and the warning is a big one—firms opt for drastic Western-style layoffs to boost profits. While Japan"s lifetime employment system is visibly unravelling, many economists still doubt whether a scenario of soaring joblessness will occur, given that economic incentives to slash payrolls clash with social and political pressures to save jobs. A kinder, gentler approach to restructuring would soften the social instability many fear would result from doubling the jobless rate, already at a record high.531 Critics believe it would also cap gains in profit margins and stifle economic vitality, especially in the absence of bold steps to open the door to new growth, industries. Some economists believe different methods of counting mean Japan"s jobless rate is already close to 7 per cent by United States standards, not that far from the 7.8 per cent peak hit in the US in 1992 when it began to emerge from a two-year slump.

问答题There"s a time bomb ticking in America"s private pension system. Although the airline industry"s hefty $32 billion in unfunded pensions has captured headlines in recent months, the problem extends much further. Automotive companies, for instance, have about $60 billion in pension shortfalls. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. says U.S. pension underfunding at large companies grew 27% last year, to $354 billion. The deficit for all companies was a staggering $450 billion. Compare that with a total shortfall of less than $50 billion in 2000, and it"s clear that this fast-growing crisis must be addressed while the PBGC—already facing a $23 billion deficit after taking over terminated plans from the likes of Bethlehem Steel and United Airlines—can still shoulder the burden. If this all sounds a bit familiar, it should. In the 1980s, the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corp., the government-sponsored insurance fund for the thrift industry, watched as the nation"s S&Ls fell victim to a toxic brew of skyrocketing interest rates, lax oversight, imprudent lending, and outright fraud. The feds stepped in and the government eventually led a $223 billion (in today"s dollars) bailout of the industry. One reason the taxpayer tab was so high was that the government was slow to react. That"s why Washington should get serious about a pension fix now. First, Congress must bring some sanity to the bedlam of pension contribution rules. Now, companies can be technically current in funding while owing billions in shortfalls, and they can increase benefits even when they haven"t funded existing promises. For example, Bethlehem Steel"s pension plan was 84% funded on a current-liability basis, but only 45% funded when all termination costs were tallied—with a shortfall of $4.3 billion when the company finally handed its plan over to the PBGC in 2002. Yet because of various loopholes, Bethlehem wasn"t required to make any catch-up contributions for years prior to its plan termination and even avoided making any cash contributions in the three years before it ditched the plan. United Airlines" record was even worse. It wasn"t required to make cash contributions to its pilot pension plan from 2000 to 2004, even though that plan was $3 billion in arrears. United"s employee plans were technically fully funded on a current account basis, but only 41% funded at termination." United dumped all its plans on the PBGC earlier this spring for a total shortfall of $9.8 billion—of which the PBGC is on the hook to pay $6.6 billion. To prevent similar abuse of the system, rules are needed that extend tax incentives to companies that prefund pensions when they are financially flush but set tougher timetables for making up shortfalls later. Second, Congress needs to sharply increase the premiums the PBGC can charge underfunded plans. Today there is little difference between what is paid by companies that have adequately funded their plans and those that haven"t. Instead, the PBGC should be allowed to charge higher premiums to companies with shaky finances or large unfunded liabilities. Risk-adjusted pricing is already commonplace in financial products such as mortgages, where buyers who put up higher downpayments on their homes get cheaper rates, and car insurance, where bad drivers pay more. It"s also used by federal bank insurers for setting deposit insurance rates. So applying risk-based pricing to pension insurance premiums isn"t exactly revolutionary. But it"s unpopular with many weak companies and with labor groups that fear employers will simply stop offering defined-benefit pensions if premiums get higher. Yet that argument may already be academic. The number of workers covered by such pensions has been dropping for at least 20 years as employers have shifted toward often cheaper 401 (k)-type plans. Thus, Congress" first priority should be to force companies to fully fund their pensions over the next few years—lessening the hit taxpayers could shoulder if the PBGC becomes overwhelmed with underfunded plans later. Finally, Congress must act to ensure that all workers receive timely, understandable information detailing whether their pension plans are adequately funded. Under current laws, the PBGC receives financial information on the most risky underfunded plans fairly early, but cannot disclose it. Instead, companies can take up to 30 months to report plan finances publicly—often too late for workers to press for more responsible pension management. Greater transparency will also give employees a reality check when companies offer meaningless benefits that they can"t realistically afford. Indeed, the sooner more light is cast on the festering pension mess, the better for workers—and taxpayers.

问答题In the coming decades, Europe's influence on affairs beyond its borders will be sharply limited, and it is in other regions, not Europe, that the 21st century will be most clearly forged and defined. Certainly, one reason for NATO' s increasing marginalization stems from the behavior of its European members. With NATO, critical decisions are still made nationally; much of the talk about a common defense policy remains just that--talk. There is little specialization or coordination. Missing as well are many of the logistical and intelligence assets needed to project military force on distant battlefields. With the Cold War and the Soviet threat a distant memory, there is little political willingness, on a country-by-country basis, to provide adequate public funds to the military. Political and demographic changes within Europe, as well as the United States, also ensure that the transatlantic alliance will lose prominence. In Europe, the E. U. project still consumes the attention of many, but for others, especially those in southern Europe facing unsustainable fiscal shortfalls, domestic economic turmoil takes precedence. No doubt, Europe's security challenges are geographically, politically and psychologically less immediate to the population than its economic ones. Mounting financial problems and the imperative to cut deficits are sure to limit what Europeans can do militarily beyond their continent. It is true that the era in which Europe and transatlantic relations dominated U.S. foreign policy is over.

问答题Bringing the World Cup to Asia was supposed to expand the reach of the global game in a happy confluence of good will and good business. The action on the pitch has certainly been dramatic, and most fans were thrilled. But less than half way through the month-long tournament, the good will is already wearing thin-and business seems relatively slow, with fewer visitors and Cup-related sales than expected. Deeply embarrassed by the image of part-empty stadiums besieged by angry ticket hunters, Japanese prime minister ordered an official investigation into the ticket fiasco. Claiming losses of more than ＄800,000 per game, Korea's soccer federation even threatened to sue Byrom, the official ticket agent, for failing to print and deliver tickets on time. Japan and Korea both hoped to score big points-at home and abroad-with the World Cup. Perhaps it was the memories of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which were considered turning points in their nations' development. Mired in a decade-long slump, Japan longs for anything that might shock its economy back to life. Korea, meanwhile, hopes the Cup will steady its halting recovery from the 1997 Asian financial crisis-and help brand it as Asia's most wired nation. Their plan: inject billions of dollars into new facilities, welcome throngs of tourists and for one glorious month showcase their countries to the biggest television audience in world history.

问答题{{B}}Directions:{{/B}} {{I}}In this part of the test, you will hear 5 sentences in English. You will hear the sentences ONLY ONCE. After you have heard each sentence, translate it into Chinese and write your version in the corresponding space in your ANSWER BOOKLET.{{/I}}

问答题Directions : In this part of the test, you will hear 2 passages in English. After you have heard each paragraph, interpret it into Chinese. Start interpreting at the signal...and stop it at the signal...You may take notes while you are listening. Remember you will hear the passages only once. Now let us begin Part A with the first passage.