Low-carbon Future：We Can Afford to Go Green Tackling climate change will cost consumers the earth．Those who campaign for a green revolution are out to destroy our western lifestyles．Such are the cries of opponents of emissions cuts，and their message has political impact：a number of surveys have found that the enthusiasm of voters for policies to reduce climate change falls off as the price tag increases． However，a new (模型化)exercise suggests that these fears are largely unfounded．It projects that radical cuts to the UK’s emissions will cause barely noticeable increases in the price of food，drink and most other goods by 2050．Electricity and petrol costs will rise significantly，but with the right policies in place，say the modellers，this need not lead to big changes in our lifestyle． "these results show that the global project to fight climate change is feasible，"says Alex Bowen，a climate policy expert at the London School of Economics．"It’s not such a big ask as people are making out．" Although it is impossible to precisely predict prices four decades from now．the exercise is one of the most detailed examinations yet of the impact of climate change policies on UK consumers．It provides a useful rough guide to our economic future． Though its results speak directly to the UK consumer，previous research has come to similar conclusions for the US．In June，one study found that if the US were to cut emissions by 50 per cent by 2050，prices of most consumer goods would increase by less than 5 per cent．The findings are also consistent with analyses by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change in Washington DC．"Even cutting emissions by 80 per cent over four decades has a very small effect on consumers in most areas，”says Manik Roy of the Pew Center．"The challenge is now to convince consumers and policy-makers that this is the case．" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends that wealthy nations cut their emissions to between 80 and 95 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050 in order to avoid the worst effects of climate change．The UK government aims to reduce its contribution by 80 per cent and leaders of the other G8 nations have discussed following suit．To meet this goal，industries will have to cut down fossil fuel consumption，and low-carbon power sources will have to massively expand. Companies will have to pay increasingly higher prices for the right to emit greenhouse gases. How will this affect the average citizen’s wallet To measure the impact of the 80 per cent target on the UK population, New Scientist approached Cambridge Econometrics, a firm known for its modelling of the European economy. The firm used historic economic data to predict the impact of emissions reductions on prices in over 40 categories of goods and services. It compared the impact of the 80 per cent cut with a baseline situation in which the government takes no action other than the limited emissions restrictions already in place as a result of the (京都议定书). Most of the price increases are a consequence of rising energy costs, in part because coal and gas are re-placed by more expensive low-carbon sources. The price of electricity is projected to be 15 per cent higher in 2050 compared with the baseline. In today’s prices, that would add around ￡5 onto typical monthly household electricity bills. It will also result in higher prices elsewhere, as every industrial sector uses electricity. But electricity and other forms of energy make up only a small part of the price of most goods. Other factors-raw materials, labour and taxes-are far more important. The energy that goes into producing food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco, for example, makes up just 2 per cent of the consumer price. For motor vehicle purchases and hotel stays, the figure is 1 per cent. Only for energy-intensive industries does the contribution climb above 3 per cent. As a result, most products cost just a few per cent more by 2050. At current prices, going low-carbon is forecast to add around 5 pence to the price of a slice of bread or a pint of beer. The price of household appliances such as washing machines rises by a few pounds. There is one major exception to the pattern. Airlines do not currently have a low-carbon alternative to jet fuel. Unless one is found, they will bear the full burden of carbon pricing, and average fares will rise by at least 140 per cent--raising the cost of a typical London to New York return trip from around ￡350 to ￡840. Achieving the overall picture of low prices does require government action. The model forecasts that by 2050 natural gas and petrol will cost 160 per cent and 32 per cent more respectively. To avoid large price rises in home heating and road transport while still hitting the 80 per cent target, the Cambridge researchers had to build two major policies into their analysis. They assumed that future governments will provide grants to help switch all domestic heating and cooking to electricity, and invest in the basic facilities needed for electric cars to almost completely replace petroleum-fuelled vehicles. Both policies have been discussed in recent UK government strategy documents, though the detail of how they would be implemented still needs further discussion. Firm policies must follow if ambitious emissions cuts are going to be made, says Chris Thoung of Cambridge Econometrics. So is tackling climate change going to be easier than expected, in terms of consumer costs While the Cam-bridge Econometrics model is widely respected and regularly used by the UK government’s climate change advisers, any attempt to forecast four decades ahead can be diverted from its intended course by unforeseen events. That leads some economists to question the model’s results. For example, companies could move to countries with less strict carbon regulations, points out Richard Tol of the Economic and Social Research Institute in Dublin, Ireland. Incomes in the UK would fall, making goods relatively more expensive. Tol also questions whether it is reasonable to use historical prices as a basis for projecting beyond 2020. Despite this, the Cambridge Econometrics results, together with other recent studies, do provide a useful guide for governments, says Michael Grubb of the University of Cambridge. They suggest that the overall challenge is conquerable, even if many of the details will only become clear in years to come.According to the modellers, emission cuts won’t change the lifestyle, provided that______. A．the price of food and drink remains stableB．appropriate policies are carried outC．electricity and pettol costs don’t riseD．the public has a strong faith in it

At some point in 2008, someone, probably in either Asia or Africa, made the decision to move from the countryside to the city. This nameless person pushed the human race over a historic threshold, for it was in that year that mankind became, for the first time in its history, a predominantly urban species. It is a trend that shows no sign of slowing. Demographers (人口统计学家) reckon that three-quarters of humanity could be city-dwelling by 2050, with most of the increase coming in the fast-growing towns of Asia and Africa. Migrants to cities are attracted by plentiful jobs, access to hospitals and education, and the ability to escape the boredom of a farmer’s agricultural life. Those factors are more than enough to make up for the squalor (肮脏), disease and spectacular poverty that those same migrants must often at first endure when they become urban dwellers. It is the city that inspires the latest book from Peter Smith. His main thesis is that the buzz of urban life and the opportunities it offers for cooperation and collaboration is what attracts people to the city, which in turn makes cities into the engines of art, commerce, science and progress. This is hardly revolutionary, but it is presented in a charming format. Mr. Smith has written a breezy guidebook, with a series of short chapters dedicated to specific aspects of urbanity—parks, say, or the various schemes that have been put forward over the years for building the perfect city. The result is a sort of high-quality, unusually rigorous coffee-table book, designed to be dipped into rather than read from beginning to end. In the chapter on skyscrapers, for example, Mr. Smith touches on construction methods, the revolutionary invention of the automatic lift, the practicalities of living in the sky and the likelihood that, as cities become more crowded, apartment living will become the norm. But there is also time for brief diversions onto bizarre ground, such as a discussion of the skyscraper index (which holds that a boom in skyscraper construction is a foolproof sign of an imminent recession). One obvious criticism is that the price of breadth is depth; many of Mr. Smith’s essays raise as many questions as they answer. Although that can indeed be frustrating, this is probably the only way to treat so grand a topic. The city is the building block of civilisation and of almost everything people do; a guidebook to the city is really, therefore, a guidebook to how a large and ever-growing chunk of humanity chooses to live. Mr. Smith’s book serves as an excellent introduction to a vast subject, and will suggest plenty of further lines of inquiry. 1 In what way is the year 2008 historic? A For the first time in history, urban people outnumbered rural people. B An influential figure decided to move from the countryside to the city. C It is in this year that urbanisation made a start in Asia and Africa. D The population increase in cities reached a new peak in Asia and Africa. 2 What does the author say about urbanisation? A Its impact is not easy to predict. B Its process will not slow down. C It is a milestone in human progress. D It aggravates the squalor of cities. 3 How does the author comment on Peter Smith’s new book? A It is but an ordinary coffee-table book. B It is flavoured with humourous stories. C It serves as a guide to arts and commerce. D It is written in a lively and interesting style. 4 What does the author say in the chapter on skyscrapers? A The automatic lift is indispensable in skyscrapers. B People enjoy living in skyscrapers with a view. C Skyscrapers are a sure sign of a city’s prosperity. D Recession closely follows a skyscraper boom. 5 What may be one criticism of Mr. Smith’s book? A It does not really touch on anything serious. B It is too long for people to read from cover to cover. C It does not deal with any aspect of city life in depth. D It fails to provide sound advice to city dwellers.

A new study has drawn a bleak picture of cultural inclusiveness reflected in the children‘s literature available in Australia.Dr.Helen Adam from Edith Cowan University’s School of Education26_ the cultural diversity of children’s books. She examined the books27_in the kindergarten rooms of four daycare centers in Western Australia. Just 18 percent of 2413 books in the total collection contained any 28_of non-white people.Minority cultures were often featured in stereotypical or tokenistic ways,for example, by29_ Asian culture with chopsticks and traditional dress.Characters that did represent a minority culture usually had30 _ roles in the books. The main characters were mostly Caucasian.This causes concern as it can lead to an impression that whiteness is of greater value.Dr. Adam said children formed impressions about “difference”and identity from a very young age. Evidence has shown they develop ownrace31 _from as young as three months of age.The books we share with young children can be a valuable opportunity to develop children’s understanding of themselves and others. Books can also allow children to see diversity.They discover both similarities and differences between themselves and others.This can help develop understanding, acceptance and32_of diversity.Census data has shown Australians come from more than 200 countriesThey speak over 300languages at home.Additionally,Australians belong to more than 100 different religious groups. They also work in more than 1000 different occupations“Australia is a multicultural society.The current33 _promotion of white middleclass ideas and lifestyles risks34_children from minority groups. This can give white middleclass children a sense of35_or privilege,” Dr. Adam said.A)alienating(separating) B)appreciation C) bias (prejudice) D) fraud (cheating)E) housed (kept or reserved) F)investigated(examined)G) overwhelming (massive or prevailing) H) portraying(describing or depicting) I)representation (embodiment)J) safeguarded (protected or defended) K) secondary (minor or subordinating) L) superiority

阅读理解 The first robots were invented in the 1920s. Robots have appeared in many American films. In some films, they are stronger, faster and cleverer than people. In real life, robots are mainly used in factories. They do some dangerous and difficult jobs for humans. Robots also help disabled people, for example, blind people. Today many blind people have a guide (向导) dog to help them. In the future, guide dogs might be robot dogs. One kind of robot guide dog has wheels. It moves in front of the owner. It is very clever. It knows the speed of its owner's walk. The owner wears a special belt (带子). This belt sends instructions to the owner from the dog, such as“Stop here” “Turn left”or“Turn right”. In the United States, another kind of robot helps disabled people to take care of themselves in their daily life. The robot hears the sound of its owner's voice. It follows instructions such as “Turn the page”or“Make a cup of coffee”. Robots are also used in American hospitals. They can do simple jobs. At one hospital, for example, a robot takes meals from the kitchen to patients' rooms. It never gets lost because this robot has a map of the hospital in its computer memory. Though robots can help people in many different ways, they will never take the place of humans.1. From the passage, we know robots cannot be .A. dangerous animalsB. factory workersC. guide dogsD. hospital helpers2. A robot guide dog .A. goes in front of blind peopleB. walks side by side with blind peopleC. has a map in its headD. helps patients with their meals3. The underlined word“disabled”means .A. 不能的B. 有害的C. 失灵的D. 残疾的4. Some disabled people need robots' help to .A. take care of themselvesB. talk to other peopleC. become scientistsD. do dangerous jobs5. In the passage, the writer wants to tell us that .A. robots are stronger and cleverer than humansB. disabled people cannot look after themselves without the robotsC. robots will take the place of humans some day in the futureD. robots can help humans in many different ways

A folk culture is a small isolated, cohesive, conservative, nearly serf-sufficient group that is homogeneous in custom and race with a strong family or clan structure and highly developed rituals. Order is maintained through sanctions based in the religion or family and interpersonal relationships are strong. Tradition is paramount, and change comes infrequently and slowly. There is relatively little division of labor into specialized duties. Rather, each person is expected to perform. a great variety of tasks, though duties may differ between the sexes. Most goods are handmade and subsistence economy prevails. Individualism is weakly developed in folk cultures as are social classes. Unaltered folk cultures no longer exist in industrialized countries such as the United States and Canada. Perhaps the nearest modern equivalent in Anglo America is the Amish, a German American fanning sect that largely renounces the products and labor saving devices of the industrial age. In Amish areas, horse drawn buggies still serve as a local transportation device and the faithful are not permitted to own automobiles. The Amish's central religious concept of Demut "humility", clearly reflects the weakness of individualism and social class so typical of folk cultures and there is a corresponding strength of Amish group identity. Rarely do the Amish marry outside their sect. The religion, a variety of the Mennonite faith, provides the principal mechanism for maintaining order. By contrast a popular culture is a large heterogeneous group often highly individualistic. Secular institutions of control such as the police and army take the place of religion and family in maintaining order, and a money-based economy prevails. Because of these contrasts, "popular" may be viewed as clearly different from "folk". The popular is replacing the folk in industrialized countries and in many developing nations. Folk-made objects give way to their popular equivalent, usually because the popular item is more quickly or cheaply produced, is easier or time saving to use or leads more prestige to the owner. The following statements are true about the folk culture EXCEPT ______. A．there is a well established family or clan structure B．relationships between people are strong C．tradition is dominant and changes are slow and do not often take place D．division of labour among the people is usually distinct, especially between sexes

听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。【小题1】A．Theft.B．Air crash.C．Cheating.D．Road accidents.【小题2】A．Learn the local customs.B．Have the right documents.C．Book tickets well in advance.D．Make hotel reservations.【小题3】A．Contact your agent.B．Use official transport.C．Get a lift if possible.D．Have a friend meet you.

Questions 1 to 4 are based on the conversation you have just heard.-|||-1.A)She is attracted to the beauty of modern buildings.-|||-B)She is preoccupied with her dream to be an architect.-|||-C)She is influenced by her father who teaches architecture.-|||-D)She is drawn to its integration of design and engineering.-|||-2.A)Through hard work. C)By studying the subject online.-|||-B)With the professor`s help. D)By taking prerequisite courses.-|||-3.A)It is groundbreaking. C)It is immaterial.-|||-B) It is long-lasting. D)It is immortal.-|||-4.A)Economics. C)Computer science.-|||-B)Philosophy. D)Western art.

A.) Most of her schoolmates are younger than she is.B.) She simply has no idea what school to transfer to.C.) There are too many activities for her to cope with.D.) She worries she won't fit in as a transfer student.

Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.-|||-16.A)They are quite friendly to humans. C)They are unafraid of humans.-|||-B)They are shrinking in numbers. D)They are especially fond of garbage.-|||-17.A)It is strictly forbidden C)It is a gesture of human generosity.-|||-B)It is an uncommon sight D)It is allowed only in certain areas.Questions 16 to 18 are based on the recording you have just heard.-|||-16.A)They are quite friendly to humans. C)They are unafraid of humans.-|||-B)They are shrinking in numbers. D)They are especially fond of garbage.-|||-17.A)It is strictly forbidden C)It is a gesture of human generosity.-|||-B)It is an uncommon sight D)It is allowed only in certain areas.

My husband and I booked a ten-day tour of China with ABC Tour. It was an excellent experience. Everything was so well organized that I never had to 20 anything. The group was small and it felt like we were a big group of old-friends all 21 , not just passengers on the bus. I was very happy with how well-informed each guide was, how flexible they were to 22 we all had a great time. Our trip to China was 23 . We will definitely 24 ABC Tour when we return to China for yet another visit.1、 2、 3、 4、 5、