BEIJING—As China scrambles to respond to the choking smog that has blanketed Beijing in recent weeks, authorities in several major cities are experimenting with carbon trading platforms. The schemes are one effort to get control over greenhouse gases in an economy still hungry for cheap energy.
It has been a persistent concern in recent years, but the spiking pollution levels in January are sparking a public outcry.
Emissions from coal-fired electricity plants and busy factories are part of the problem that officials hope to get control over through carbon trading platforms. Seven cities are expected to open carbon markets later this year, including Tianjin.
“The government has decided to start with programs because the carbon trading is something new to China,” said David Tang, secretary of the board of the Tianjin Carbon Exchange. “So we want to have a number of programs to explore the use of the market.” said Tang.
China wants to launch a national carbon trading program by 2016. If it is successful, analysts say, the program would be one of the largest in the world and would help the country meet its target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 45 percent within seven years.
The platforms allow companies to earn credits for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, which can then be traded. If it works, it would encourage for-profit businesses to invest in green technology.
As public concern builds pressure for the government to find a solution, Wu Changhua, greater China director of the Climate Group, says there is a broad shift under way in how Chinese weigh their quality of life.
China has long put economic growth ahead of environmental concerns, making it the world’s biggest polluter. Carbon trading supporters hope that the markets could be one way to curb pollution and keep the economy growing.Which of the following is TRUE about carbon trading platforms?
| A．They are used to trade various resources. |
| B．They caused the choking smog in China. |
| C．They have been in existence for many years in China. |
| D．The choking smog may promote their development. |
The underlined word in Paragraph 1 means “ ______”.
| A．to make blanket | B．to cover something | C．to make something empty | D．to be like a blanket |
Tang’s attitude towards carbon markets is ______.
| A．unknown | B．indifferent | C．optimistic | D．pessimistic |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．China will have built a national carbon trading program by 2016. |
| B．Chinese have lived a life of high quality in all aspects. |
| C．The markets could slow the development of economy. |
| D．Standards of life will be changed in China. |
What's the main idea of this passage?
| A．The choking smoke in China. | B．The urge for carbon trading platforms. |
| C．Greenhouse gases. | D．The world’s biggest polluter. |
If you had been in my classes in the early McKee days , you would have seen a skinny young man in his late twenties with messy black hair , eyes that looked with a sign of infection , bad teeth and the hangdog look you see on immigrants in Ellis Island photographs or on pickpockets being arrested .
There were reasons for the hangdog look .
I was born in New York and taken to Ireland before I was four . I had three brothers . My father , an alcoholic , wild man , great patriot , always ready to die for Ireland , abandoned us when I was ten . A baby sister died , twin boys died , two boys were born . My mother begged for food , clothing , and coal to boil water for the tea . Neighbors told her to place us in an orphanage , a place for homeless kids . No , no , never . The shame of it . She hung on . We grew . My brothers and I left school at fourteen , worked , dreamed of America and , one by one , sailed away . my mother followed with the youngest , expecting to live happily ever after . That’s what you are supposed to do in America , but she never had a moment of happy-ever-after .
In New York I worked at laboring jobs till I was put into the United States Army . After two years in Germany I went to college on the GI Bill program to become a teacher . In college there were courses on literature and composition . There were courses on how to teach by professors who did not know how to teach . After college I went to McKee , where I put what I had learnt to trial and embarrassed myself when the students considered me a fool .. What is a hangdog look ?
| A．happy | B．disappointed | C．discouraged | D．angry |
. It can be inferred from this passage that __________ .
| A．before the author went to Ireland , he lived in New York . |
| B．the mother is living a joyful life in America with her little son |
| C．there are four sons in this Irish family living in America |
| D．the author is now a young teacher in his twenties teaching in a high school |
. Which of the following statements is TRUE ?
| A．Someone recommended the mother give the children away to kind people . |
| B．The author’s father sacrificed himself for his beloved homeland . |
| C．The author got into college because he was hard-working . |
| D．The author didn’t know much about how to teach when he first started . |
. In what way is the passage mainly developed ?
| A．Presenting effects and analyzing the causes . |
| B．Giving typical examples . |
| C．Describing things in space order . |
| D．Presenting an idea and arguing in favor of it . |
Traditional surgical procedures require surgeons to make large incisions（切口）in a patient’s body in order to gain access to the organs inside . It was once common for heart surgeons , who perform highly specialized and complex procedures , to make long incisions in a patient’s chest and then split the breastbone to reach the heart . Patients who undergo surgery are often at the risk of infection , as bacteria can infect the cut in the skin . In addition , there is often a lengthy recovery period .
A surgical technique known as “ keyhole surgery ” has become common in recent years . In general , the surgeon will make a couple of small incisions around the area where the operation is going to be performed . Tubes are pushed into the holes , and a tiny camera is put into the body . The camera is attached to a large monitor screen and the doctor can see it while performing the operation . In addition to the camera , doctors also push their tiny surgical instruments through the tubes . The awkward part of keyhole surgery is that it is counterintuitive ; that is to say , if a surgeon wants to move the tool to the left , he or she must push it to the right .
Another new machine called the “ Da Vinci Surgical System ” has been tested in hospitals in the US. Unlike keyhole surgery , this robot’s moving parts are designed to copy man’s hand and wrist movement , thus providing better control and sensitivity . Sitting at a console（控制台）a few feet from the patient , the surgeon can control the instruments by moving highly sensitive pads . The area of the body is enlarged on a screen , which gives surgeons a view similar to that of a traditional surgical procedure .
The Da Vinci Surgical System has been welcomed as revolutionary by many surgeons . Patients with serious illness must undergo major surgery , but the smaller incisions typically mean a shorter recovery time . On the downside , some operations have taken up to fifty minutes longer because surgeons are inexperienced at using the new technology . As surgeons become more familiar with the machines , the time needed for surgical procedures is likely to decrease .. What can be learned about the traditional surgery according to the passage ?
| A．Long incisions are made in a patient’s chest |
| B．It often takes a longer time to do an operation |
| C．The cost of the traditional surgery is very high |
| D．The incision is likely to be infected after the operation . |
. Which of the following is one disadvantage of keyhole surgery ?
| A．It requires the use of long , thin tools and a tiny camera |
| B．The doctors can not view the inside of the patients body clearly |
| C．The direction in which a doctor moves the surgical tools is opposite |
| D．A tiny camera has to be inserted into the patient’s body in advance |
. The Da Vinci Surgical System differs from keyhole surgery in that it __________ .
| A．requires that a surgeon make more small incisions on a patient |
| B．reduces the amount of time it takes to perform a surgical procedure |
| C．allows the surgeon to use the surgical instruments more sensitively |
| D．get rid of the need for surgeons to make Large incisions on patients |
. The passage mainly tells readers about __________ .
| A．the challenges brought about by new technology |
| B．the application of new technologies in modern surgery |
| C．the reflections on the development in medical science |
| D．the benefits and drawbacks of the Da Vinci Surgical System |
In Colombia , there are some unwritten rules that people are used to , These rules are not officially established , but people do respect them . For example , on a bus , a person keeps a distance from another person , and people don’t like to touch each other . Many people come to work late because they prefer to wait for another bus if the first one is too crowded . They don’t want to have to stand too close to another person , or maybe they are afraid of starting a conversation .
A friend of mine in Colombia once said his mom got angry because he came home late , so he asked her , “ Mom , what do you think of most people arriving at their jobs so late ? ” That gave her the answer to her question since everyone knows no one wants to get on a bus that is too crowded . His mother realized at that moment that customs have a big influence on a person’s life .
Sometimes , people don’t like to make any kind of conversation or make eye contact with others . For example , when they are in line at a bank , they prefer to look up or down rather than look at other people .
Moreover , people usually look down when they are in an elevator . Not only on a bus , in line at a bank , and in an elevator do people usually avoid talking to other people , but also in the streets when they are walking , they prefer to look down and to avoid contact with others .. Why do many people get to work late in Colombia ?
| A．They always think the next bus will be better . |
| B．They don’t want to get on crowded buses . |
| C．It’s an official rule in Colombia . |
| D．They get into conversations and miss their buses . |
. From the text we learn that __________ .
| A．customs influence people’s lives | B．a mother always understands her son |
| C．people respect each other in Colombia | D．people like to talk in elevators in Colombia |
. When people in Colombia are in line at banks , they __________ .
| A．make eye contact | B．look at other people |
| C．make conversation | D．look up or down |
. What would be the best title for the text ?
| A．What People Do in Different Situations | B．Avoid Getting on a Crowded Bus |
| C．Special Customs in Colombia | D．Obeying Unwritten Rules |
Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans, that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, felling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep; but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow last.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”
“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”
“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”
“How silly you are!” cried the Miller; “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”
Hands said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything, he ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”
“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”
“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”
“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said: “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. .From the passage, we can learn that Hans ______.
| A．was extremely wise and noble | B．was highly valued by the Miller |
| C．admired the Miller very much | D．had a strong desire for fortune |
. “Flour is one thing, and friendship is another” can be understood as ______.
| A．“Different words may mean quite different things.” |
| B．“Interest is permanent while friendship is flexible.” |
| C．“I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life.” |
| D．“I think being generous is the base of friendship.” |
.Hans worked a lot for the Miller because he ______.
| A．was convinced of the Miller’s noble talk | B．owed the Miller many valuable things |
| C．was treated as a best friend by the Miller | D．intended to show off his unselfishness |
.From the Miller’s talk at home, we can see he was ______.
| A．serious but kind | B．helpful and generous | C．caring but strict | D．selfish and cold-hearted |
. What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?
| A．True friendship between them | B．A lack of formal education |
| C．A sudden change of weather | D．Blind devotion to a friend |
. The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ______.
| A．entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale |
| B．show the friendship between Hans and the Miller |
| C．warn the readers about the danger of a false friend |
| D．persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller |
The battle for the leadership of Britain’s Labour Party ended on September 25. Five candidates competed for the top job, but it turned out to be a tale of two brothers. Victory went to Ed Miliband, 40, with his elder brother David, 45, coming a close second. Ed’s Miliband’s job will now be to try to lead his party back into power and oppose Prime Minister David Cameron.
The two Milibands were both ministers in the Gordon Brown government. David Miliband, as Foreign Secretary, held the third most important post in UK politics. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described him as “vibrant and attractive”. Ed, who had a lesser role in government as Minister of Climate Change, was valued for his contribution to policy discussions and for his performance at the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change last December.
The Miliband brothers were born to political parents. Their father, Ralph, was a Marxist scholar. He came to Britain from Belgium in 1940, fleeing the Nazis. Ralph Miliband was buried beside Karl Marx in London’s Highgate Cemetery. His wife Marion, the brothers’ mother, remains an active party member at 76.
The two brothers represent different wings of the Labour Party. David supported former Prime Minister Tony Blair; Ed was a follower of Blair’s great rival Gordon Brown, the last Labour PM.
“We’re determined to make sure that family comes before politics, and I don’t think there’s any chance that politics is going to get in the way,” David Miliband said before the vote.
After the result, the two embraced in front of the cameras.
In his acceptance speech, Ed Miliband said to his brother: “David, I love you so much as a brother. And I have such extraordinary respect for the campaign that you ran.”
But some feel their warm words were for the media and for the sake of party unity. There had been reports of anger on David’s part when his younger brother chose to stand against him. David may feel that the leadership was stolen from him-and by his own brother. Ed himself was reported to be concerned that he might have hurt David. According to the Guardian, after the result, Ed’s first reaction was: “what have I done to David?”
Ed suggested that he was prepared to make his brother shadow chancellor. But David has decided it is time to move on. He will not have a role in the Shadow Cabinet in the future.
In effect, he has fallen on his sword for the Party. David Miliband said the priority was to allow his brother to make a success of leading Labour: “I believe this will be harder if there is constant comparison with my comments and position as a member of the shadow cabinet.”. Ed Miliband became head of Britain’s Labour Party because ______.
| A．he played an important role in the previous British government. |
| B．his arguments at political discussions and his performance at an international conference |
| C．Hillary Clinton thought highly of him |
| D．his brother supported him both at home and politics. |
. According to the passage, which is NOT TRUE?
| A．Ed and David both worked in the government. |
| B．Ralph Miliband came to Britain because of the Nazis. |
| C．Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron are all Labour Party Prime Ministers. |
| D．David Miliband and Ed Miliband’s mother is still alive. |
.What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．David Miliband and Ed Miliband fought against each other both at home and politics. |
| B．Ed was concerned about David’s feelings after the election. |
| C．David and Ed were born into a political family. |
| D．David and Ed agreed with each other on most of the issues |
.What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．David accepted his brother’s invitation to be a shadow chancellor. |
| B．David was determined to fight against his brother. |
| C．David was so upset that he would end his life with a sword for the Party. |
| D．David refused his brother’s offer for him to be a shadow chancellor. |
.Which of the following can best describe the relationship between David and Ed?
| A．Brothers and political rivals | B．Partners in the political campaign |
| C．Partners in public and enemy in private | D．Representatives of different wings of Labour Party |
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