Researchers discovered that plants infected with a virus give off a gas that ______ disease resistance in neighboring plants.

As a candidate for the Master's Degree program in translation, what do you think a professional translator should be equipped with in order to bridge languages and cultures in your future career? Write down your thoughts in an essay of about 400 words. Supply a title for your essay. Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness.

In Hong Kong's huge Ocean Terminal shopping complex Prudential has opened a shop alongside ______ fashion brands such as Prada and Ralph Lauren.

Certified Public Accountant

At first she accused me of being a political fanatic, but she soon came round to ______ that my ideas were not so ridiculous as she had supposed.

出风头

International Atomic Energy Agency

She waited at the gate, her hands ______ before her.

Are we going to see an end to the Arab-Israeli ______?

stunt man

target language

Directions: Please write a composition of 400 words on the following topic: Micro blogs are gaining momentum in China in the last few years. While being praised by many, micro blogs have their own downside. Please specify the biggest disadvantage of micro blogs and justify it with supporting details. Marks will be awarded for content, organization, grammar and appropriateness. Failure to follow the Directions may result in a loss of marks.

I was standing waiting for a bus, ______ between two old ladies and their bags of shopping.

Passage Two Of all the catastrophes that could befall America in coming years, a big terrorist attack, perhaps even bigger than those on September 11 th 2001, may be more likely than others. Who would pay for the millions in property damage, business losses and other claims from such an attack? This is the question with which America's Congress is currently wrestling. The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) was passed as a temporary measure after September 11th to provide a government back-stop for the insurance industry in the event of a catastrophic attack. It now says government can step in when insured losses from a terrorist event top $5m. TRIA has helped to stabilize the market, and enabled insurers to continue offering terrorism-risk cover even after swallowing the big losses imposed by September llth. But unless Congress acts last, TRIA will expire at the end of the year. One likely result is the loss of terrorism-risk cover for thousands of firms and property owners. This, in turn, could disrupt businesses and make some commercial activity impossible. With modifications, TRIA should be extended. The Bush administration has been opposed to extension. It has always seen TRIA as a short-term measure, and has argued that the private sector should assume sole responsibility for terrorism insurance. This is the right goal. A purely private solution would be best, lifting any future burden-from the taxpayer and relying on the industry to price and spread risks more accurately than any government can do. But relying entirely on the private sector immediately does not look feasible. With TRIA's expiration looming, insurers and reinsurers have not, as the administration expected, rushed to write new contracts for next year offering to fall gaps in terrorism cover. Why the hesitation? Unlike other risks, the threat of terrorism cannot be forecast in time or scope, making a mocker':' of insurers' underwriting models. A big chemical, biological or nuclear attack is a prospect few can price, or afford to cover. Insurers are already being threatened with downgrades by rating agencies for the terrorism cover they have sold. One reason is that insurance, far from being a free market, is already one of the most heavily regulated of industries. Operating in a highly distorted marketplace, with 50 state regulators, the insurance industry seems to be having trouble pricing the largest of terrorism risks in a way that is credible and can still offer insurers a profit. Letting TRIA expire, and abruptly withdrawing the government role in insuring the largest losses, would just exacerbate this problem. Any renewal of TRIA should, once again, be limited to two years, say. Its extension must also shift more of the burden, and the business, to the private sector. If an extension is agreed and TRIA's threshold for government intervention is raised substantially, work should begin now to find better longer-term solutions. One place to look is abroad, where governments have dealt with terrorism risk for years. In Britain, for instance, insurers have created a pool of capital that is backed by the government and, over time, shifts a greater share of risk on to the private sector. Other options to consider include tax changes that reduce the cost of holding capital by insurers and reinsurers, and facilitating the use of catastrophe bonds. With fewer regulatory distortions of insurance markets, a solely private solution may be attainable in the long run. In the current environment, though, the same government that regularly warns of terrorist threats must still have a role to play in a solution that safeguards America's financial security. It would be better to plan ahead than wait for a rushed, Katrina-style bail-out after a big attack. Amid all the uncertainties, one thing seems clear: any such bail-out would be more costly and lead to even greater market distortions without an extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act today.

阴历

Children and old people do not like having their daily ______ upset.

Penny's ______ speech given at the state competition won her the first prize.

It is unlikely he can significantly contribute to the highly competitive strategies that food ______ demands.

Armistice Day

We are on the ______ of a new era in European relations.