Air pollution by sources ranging from cooking fires to auto fumes contributed to an estimated seven million deaths worldwide in 2012, the UN health agency has said.
"Air pollution, and we're talking about both indoors and outdoors, is now the biggest environmental health problem, and it is affecting everyone, both developed and developing countries," said Maria Neira, the World Health Organisation's public and environmental health chief.
Globally, pollution was linked to one death in eight in 2012, new WHO research found.
The biggest pollution-related killers were heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
The hardest-hit regions of the globe were what the WHO labels Southeast Asia, which includes India and Indonesia, and the Western Pacific, ranging from China and South Korea to Japan and the Philippines. Together, they accounted for 5.9 million deaths.
The global death toll included 4.3 million deaths due to indoor air pollution, chiefly caused by cooking over coal, wood and biomass stoves. The toll from outdoor pollution was 3.7 million, with sources ranging from coal heating fires to diesel engines.
Many people are exposed to both indoor and outdoor pollution, the WHO said, and due to that overlap the separate death toll attributed to the two sources cannot simply be added together, hence the figure of seven million deaths. The new figure is "shocking and worrying", Ms Neira told reporters.
When it last released an estimate for deaths related to air pollution, in 2008, the agency had put the figure related to outdoor pollution at 1.3 million, while the number blamed on indoor pollution was 1.9 million. But a change in research methods makes comparison difficult between the 2008 estimate and the 2012 figures, Neira said.
In the past, for example, the WHO did not take into account the overlap between exposure to both forms, and only assessed urban pollution. Satellite imagery has made it easier to assess rural pollution, and new knowledge about the health impact of exposure has enabled a better count. "The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart disease and strokes," said Neira. "Few risks have a greater impact on global health today than air pollution. The evidence signals the need for concerted action to clean up the air we all breathe."
According to the WHO, some 2.9 billion people in poor nations live in homes that use fires as their principle method of cooking and heating. Carlos Dora, the WHO's public and environmental health coordinator, said that turned homes into "combustion chambers". Simple measures to stem the impact include so-called "clean cook stoves", which are a low-tech option, as well as improved ventilation, he said.
Countries also need to rethink policies, Mr Dora said, pointing to the impact in the developed world of a shift to cleaner power sources, more efficient management of energy demand, and technical strides in the auto industry. He also said transport policies needed a shake-up. With air pollution having sparked a recent scare in France, leading to restrictions on car use and the temporary scrapping of public transport fees in Paris, Mr Dora said such measures could be applied in the longer term. "You can't buy clean air in a bottle," he said."The air is a shared resource. In order to breathe clean air, we have to have interventions in the areas that pollute air." The WHO said it planned by the end of this year to release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities.The main idea of this article is that .
| A．In the past, the WHO did not take into account the overlap between exposure to both forms. |
| B．Air pollution by sources ranging from cooking fires to auto fumes caused an estimated seven million deaths worldwide in 2012. |
| C．According to the WHO, some 2.9 billion people use fires as their principle method of cooking and heating. |
| D．The WHO will release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities by the end of this year. |
The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “ ”..
| A．The risks |
| B．cooking fires |
| C．environmental health problem |
| D．Air pollution |
Which of the following is True according to the passage? .
| A．The biggest pollution-related killers were heart disease, stroke, pulmonary disease and lung cancer. |
| B．Air pollution only affects developing countries. |
| C．The risks from air pollution are now not serious. |
| D．Maria Neira said that we can't buy clean air in a bottle. |
What is main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The air is a our shared resource. |
| B．The WHO will release a ranking of the world's 1,600 most polluted cities. |
| C．The government should make effective policies to control the air pollution. |
| D．The transport policies need a shake-up. |
The death toll in 2008 can hardly compare with that in 2012 because________.
| A．the death toll included 4.3 million deaths due to indoor air pollution. |
| B．in 2008 the WHO only assessed rural pollution. |
| C．the research methods changed. |
| D．the risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought. |
BEIJING, China (CNN)-- China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday--in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.
Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound (反弹) in 2009.
Since 2001, China has been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.
Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.
Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure (基础设施的建设) is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.
Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.
Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.
For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007.
1. Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth China has seen is ___.
| A．6.8% | B．8.8% | C．9% | D．11.9% |
2. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is ____.
| A．export | B．infrastructure | C．consumer confidence | D．consumer spending |
3. Which of the following is NOT the difficulty China is facing?
| A．Tens of thousands of factories have closed. |
| B．Millions of people are looking for jobs. |
| C．An uncertain number of migrant workers may be leaving cities forever. |
| D．The terrible situation will erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009. |
4. In which quarter of 2008 did the slowdown of China's economic growth first appear?
| A．1st. | B．2nd. | C．3rd. | D．4th. |
5. The best title of this passage should be _____.
| A．China's Economic Growth Slows. |
| B．Economic Crisis in China. |
| C．Economists Analyze China's Economy. |
| D．Several Factors Determine China's Economy |
BEIJING, China (CNN)-- China's economic growth dropped to 9 percent for 2008, according to numbers released by the government Thursday--in line with expectations, but still the slowest rate the nation has seen in seven years.
Economists are concerned about what the slowdown means for investment in the future, whether new projects will be undertaken in manufacturing companies and in factories. If not, it will translate into more job losses and erase any optimism about a rebound (反弹) in 2009.
Since 2001, China has been used to double-digit growth as consumers buy Chinese goods. However, the export sector was hit hard in late 2008, with December exports down 2.8 percent.
Consumer spending has mostly held up in China, as people there do not carry as much debt as their American counterparts and can continue to spend.
Consumer confidence, however, is a problem, said Dong Tao, Asia chief economist for Credit Suisse. Infrastructure (基础设施的建设) is the only thing driving the Chinese economy, Dong said.
Tens of thousands of Chinese factories have closed, millions of people are looking for jobs and an untold number of migrants who can't find work may be leaving cities for good because of the slowdown, which would have been unheard of six months ago.
Fourth quarter numbers showed growth at 6.8 percent. Goldman Sachs predicted 6.5 percent, down from 9 percent in the third quarter.
For all of 2008, Goldman Sachs had predicted 8.8 percent, down from 11.9 percent in 2007.
1. Since 2001, the slowest rate in annual economic growth China has seen is ___.
A. 6.8% B. 8.8% C. 9% D. 11.9%
2. According to Dong Tao, the only thing driving the Chinese economy is ____.
A. export B. infrastructure C. consumer confidence D. consumer spending
3. Which of the following is NOT the difficulty China is facing?
A. Tens of thousands of factories have closed.
B. Millions of people are looking for jobs.
C. An uncertain number of migrant workers may be leaving cities forever.
D. The terrible situation will erase any optimism about a rebound in 2009.
4. In which quarter of 2008 did the slowdown of China's economic growth first appear?
A. 1st. B. 2nd. C. 3rd. D. 4th.
5. The best title of this passage should be _____.
A. China's Economic Growth Slows.
B. Economic Crisis in China.
C. Economists Analyze China's Economy.
D. Several Factors Determine China's Economy
以下是某个英语杂志有关专家对一些读者反映问题的建议：
| A．Feel Grateful! You say you’re thankful, but then dismiss your mom’s investment as an “obligation”. By today’s economic standards, what she did is virtually miraculous. Tell your mom plainly, over and over again, how grateful you are. I’m sure the complaining will begin to fade. |
| B．Tame the beast! When one boy discovers his inner caveman, he likes to initiate others into the tribe. Don’t over-worry. Boys will be boys. You and your husband should meet the boy’s parents down the street, suggesting a plan to either tame the wild beasts or limit their time together. |
| C．Good effort and goodwill makes it! Maybe there was a reason why your buddy was out of work. He’s taking advantage of you and your employer. Remind him how to act on the job. He owes good effort and goodwill if he accepts the pay. Tell him to be quiet or get away. |
| D．Calm down! |
| Fast vehicles and wild people---sounds like adolescent dreams to me. As some men age, they compensate with bigger, faster toys. But he’s putting you at risk and breaking the law. In a calm moment outside the car, tell him that he is scaring you. Suggest he join a car club, one that promotes safe driving. |
E. Move your line away!
| You say you’re “in the middle”, but I’d say you’re dangerously close to slipping off the edge. There are lots of fish in the sea; why drop your line in waters your friend is still fishing? |
F. Speak out and breathe easily together!
| You are rebuilding a relationship with new trust and affection. If there’s a bad odor left from the old day, you need to clear the air. Mention the problem, and say, “I’m sorry for my part in that argument.” I’ll bet she’ll say the same. |
以下是一些读者在生活中反映的问题。请匹配问题及对应的建议。
56. Allan: My friend Jim was out of work and I helped him find a job in my company. But recently I have found he is very lazy and doesn’t do his work well. Besides, he often tells me that our employer is too bad.
57. Mary: Cathy and I were good friends. But two years ago she moved and left me because we had an argument. Now I hear she has come back to this town and lives about a mile away. I hope to visit this old friend, but I really don’t know what to do.
58. Mrs. Green: My eight-year-old son used to be obedient. But recently he’s become wild and crazy like a barbarian and doesn’t want to stay at home. My husband and I get worried. Now I find he likes to play with another boy who is also a barbarian.
59. Mike: I live with my mother, who works night and day so that she can support my schooling. I’m grateful but sometimes I get even more annoyed because she seems to be always unsatisfied with me and complains about my faults.
60. Eileen: My friend Jim is a helpful young man, and he has taken me downtown in his car several times. But every time he drove his car so crazily that I felt horrible. “I’ve got used to driving fast,” he says.
If you look for a book as a present for a child，you will be spoiled for choice even in a year there is no new Harry Patten．J．K Rowling’s wizard is not alone ．The past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books ,which has set off a large quantity of films and an increased sales of classics such as The lard of the Rings．Yet despite that, reading is increasingly unpopular among children ．According to statistics in 1997, 23% said they didn’t like reading at all．In 2003, 35% didn’t．And around 6% of the children leave primary school each year unable to read properly．Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computes games．Maybe the books boom has affected only the top of the educational pile．Either way, Chancellor Cordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class ．In his pre-budget report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most．Reading Recovery is aimed at six year olds, who receive four months of individual daily half-hour classes with a specially trained teacher．An evaluation this year reported that children on the school made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress ,and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age．International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school, they read well ,but read text often for fun than those elsewhere ．Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can report lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success ．According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage．51．Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?A．Many children’s books have been adapted from films．B．Many high-quality children’s books have been published．C．The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films．D．The sales of presents for children have increased．52．Statistics suggested that ．A．the number of top students increased with the use of computersB．a decreasing number of children showed interest in readingC．a minority of primary school children read properlyD．a huge percentage of children read regularly53．What do we know about Reading Recovery?A．An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year．
B．Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking．
C．It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading．
D．Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading．
54．Reading for fun is important because book-loving children _________．
A．take greater advantage of the project
B．show the potential to enjoy a long life
C．are likely to succeed in their education．
D．would make excellent future researchers
55．The aim of this text would probably be _________．
A．to overcome primary school pupils reading difficulty．
B．to encourage the publication of more children’s books
C．to remind children of the importance of reading for fun
D．to introduce a way to improve early children reading
Anyone who doubts that children are born with a healthy amount of ambition need spend only a few minutes with a baby eagerly learning to walk. No matter how many times the little ones stumble in their first efforts, most keep on trying, determined to master their amazing new skill. It is only several years later, many psychologists and teachers agree, that a good number of kids seem to lose their natural drive to succeed. For the parents of such kids, whose own ambition is often tied to their children’s success, it can be a painful experience.
Figuring out why the fire went out is the first step. Assuming that a kid doesn’t suffer from a learning disability, or isn’t involved in some family crisis(危机) at home, many educators attribute a sudden lack of motivation to a fear of failure or classmate pressure. “Everything is within the kids’ control; their intelligence is changeable,” says Lisa Blackwell, a research scientist at Columbia University. More than any teacher or workshop, Blackwell says, “parents can play a key role in conveying this message to their children by praising their effort, and progress rather than emphasizing their ‘smartness’ or praising high performance alone. Most of all, parents should let their kids know that mistakes are a part of learning.”
Some experts say our education system, with its strong emphasis on testing and separation of students into different levels of ability, also bears blame for the disappearance of drive in some kids. “These programs shut down the motivation of all kids who aren’t considered gifted and talented. They destroy their confidence,” says Jeff Howard, a social psychologist. Howard and other educators say it’s important to expose kids to a world beyond homework and tests, through volunteer work, sports, hobbies and other extracurriculum activities.
“The problem of the issue is that many students experience education as irrelevant to their life goals and ambitions,” says Michael Nakkual, a Harvard education professor. The key to getting kids to aim higher at school is to free them of the idea that class work is irrelevant, to show them how doing well at school can actually help them fulfill their dreams beyond it. They need to understand that you have to learn to walk before you can run.
46．According to the passage, the parents of kids with no ambition .
A．don’t do a very good job teaching them to walk
B．are to blame if the kids do poorly in school
C．feel pain because ambitions are connected to their success
D．should take part in extracurriculum activities with kids
47．The underlined part “the fire went out” probably means .
A．the motivation was suddenly lost
B．the fear of failure was suddenly gone
C．the learning disability was suddenly lost
D．the fire was suddenly gone
48．All the following can contribute to a sudden lack of ambition except .
A．learning disability B．classmate pressure
C．emphasis on testing D．extracurricular activities
49．What is the most important thing for parents in motivating their kids?
A．By punishing kids who don’t display ambition.
B．By emphasizing smartness and high performance.
C．By telling kids that mistakes are a part of learning.
D．By praising the effort and progress they have made.
50．We can infer from the passage that .
A．children who have lost their ambition will never succeed in life
B．school performance has much to do with students’ later success
C．both the parents and the school are to blame for the lost ambition
D．younger kids learning to walk are more ambitious than older ones
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