A political scientist from Indiana University whose work exploring how people come together to protect their collective （共有的）resources may provide important clues in the fight against elimate change has become the first woman to win the Nobel prize for economics.
Elinor Ostrom, 76, shares the award with fellow American academic Oliver E. Williamson, 77. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced to the world the pair had been chosen to win the 40th prize in economic sciences.
For Ostrom, the award came, as she showed, as a “big surprise”. To rise to the summit of her area of learning has been an big journey, as she has had to struggle against her own weaknesses and the impediments （妨碍）of the system. At school in Los Angeles she suffered from stuttering（口吃）. She also faced the hurdles （障碍） common to most women of her generation entering the sciences--she was discouraged from taking a PhD when she applied for graduate school.
Her field of study has been striking for how cross-disciplinary （交叉训练的）it is. Early on she gained a reputation for bringing economics, political science and sociology together.
What interests her is how common property can be managed successfully through groups in society. One of the first subjects that interested her was management of water resources.
The findings of her research have been striking, because they have challenged the traditional idea that common property is poorly managed unless it is either regulated by government or privatized. She has shown how individuals can work together and form collectives that protect the resource at hand.
“A lot of people are waiting for more international co-operation to solve global warming,” said Ostrom, “It is important that there is international agreement, but we can take steps at family level community level, and national level … There are many steps that can be taken. That will not solve it on their own but continuously will make a big difference.”
1. Why was Ostrom not advised to take a PhD?
A. Because she was a stutter who didn’t speak fluently.
B. Because she was a woman who was prejudiced then.
C. Because she was as common as other women in science.
D. Because she didn’t receive a degree of master yet.
2. Which of the following statements may Ostrom agree to?
A. Only government can make full use of common property.
B. Private enterprise can control individual behavior.
C. Different people should work together to protect the resources.
D. Individuals play a minor role in fighting climate change.
3. Ostrom was awarded the Nobel Prize for economics because _______.
A. she brought economics and political science into sociology
B. she predicted the breakout of the global financial crisis
C. she worked on the relationship between individuals and government
D. she put forward a new theory to help fight against climate change
4. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
A. the Nobel Prize for economics was first won by a woman
B. Elinor Ostrom’s work may help fight poverty
C. the first woman won the Nobel Prize in America
D. the Nobel Prize for economics is shared this year

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