An increase in students applying to study economics at university is being attributed to (归因于)the global economic crisis (危机) awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works.
Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.
Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecturer at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures-which are open to students from all departments-were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.
“There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn’t traditionally done.” He said.
University applications rose 7% last year, but there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people’s renewed interest in careers in the public sector(部门), which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.
A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.
Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said: “It’s possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that’s financially wiser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty.”Professor John Beath’s lectures are_______ .
| A．given in a traditional way |
| B．connected with the present situation |
| C．open to both students and their parents |
| D．warmly received by economics |
Careers in the public sector are more attractive because of their_________ .
| A．greater stability | B．higher pay |
| C．fewer applications | D．better reputation |
In the opinion of most parents, __________ .
| A．economics should be the focus of school teaching |
| B．more students should be admitted to universities |
| C．the teaching of financial matters should be strengthened. |
| D．children should solve financial problems themselves |
According to Hocking, the global economic crisis might make the youngsters_____________ .
| A．wiser in money management |
| B．have access to better equipment |
| C．confident about their future careers |
| D．get jobs in Child Trust Funds |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Universities have received more applications. |
| B．Economics is attracting an increasing numbers students |
| C．College students benefit a lot from economic uncertainty |
| D．Parents are concerned with children’s subject selection. |
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Beijing — Premier Wen Jiabao has urged the leadership of all countries to deepen their political will in tackling climate change woes (灾难) as uncertainties mount in the months before the United Nation’s conference in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of this year.
Wen made the remarks on Friday when he met with nearly 20 politicians, climate change and environmental ministers worldwide, who are in Beijing this weekend to attend an international forum on green economy and climate change.
Based on the achievements made at the Copenhagen Summit last December, Wen urged the rich countries to further clarify their compulsory carbon reduction targets. “At the same time, we developing countries should make clear our voluntary goal of slowing down climate change,” Wen said.
Wen also urged the developed countries to transfer climate change friendly technologies to the developing countries, especially the poorest countries and island nations.
During the meeting, Wen said China will redouble its efforts in reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency during the coming years after it finishes its 2006-2010 goal of cutting energy consumption per unit of economic output by 20 percent.
While praising China for its green efforts, former Australian Prime Minister Robert J. Lee Hawke asked China to share its experiences and lessons on energy savings and pollution reduction to the rest of the world to tackle global environmental woes and climate change.
Wen responded: “China, together with the rest of the world, is willing to make its due contribution in coping with global warming and climate change.”
At a banquet for the foreign guests on Friday night, former vice-premier Zeng Peiyan said mounting uncertainties are ahead for the climate change negotiations. The world needs more dialogue and cooperation, Zeng said.
“Climate change woes are our shared challenges but the root lies in the historical emissions by the developed countries,” said Zeng, as president of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, which organized the weekend climate change summit.
Zeng expected the forum to work as a platform for different countries to communicate their positions freely before the Bonn climate change negotiation in June and the Cancun conference at the end of this year.
51. Which title suits this passage best?
A. We must work on climate change.
B. We should share our ‘green’ technology.
C. We need to clarify our action targets.
D. We ought to cooperate to control the climate.
52. Why did Wen Jiabao urge the developed countries to clarify their carbon reduction targets?
A. Because the developed countries are not willing to deal with global environmental woes.
B. Because the developing countries have not set any goal of slowing down climate change.
C. Because there are mounting uncertainties ahead for the climate change negotiations.
D. Because agreements were already made at the Copenhagen Summit last December.
53. What kind of goal should a developing country have to slow down climate change?
A. A less important goal. B. A self-assessed goal.
C. A negotiation-based goal D. A more compulsory goal.
54. The underlined part in the last paragraph but one implies ____________.
A. Air pollution just existed in the developed countries in the past.
B. In the past, the developed countries slowed down the development of the world.
C. Climate change woes were originally caused by the developed countries.
D. The rich countries should be more responsible since they polluted most.
55. It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.
A. The Chinese government intends to be regarded as a developed country.
B. The whole world has got the same opinion about the measures to take.
C. The developed countries have not found any effective ways to cut their emissions.
D. There is still a long way to go before an agreement can be reached.
.
California is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by land area, after Alaska and Texas. California is located on the West Coast of the United States, bordered by Oregon to the north, Nevada to the northeast, Arizona to the southeast, the Mexican state of Baja California to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Its four largest cities are Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco. The state is home to the nation’s second and sixth largest census statistical areas as well as eight of the nation’s fifty most populous cities. California has a varied climate and geography, and a diverse population.
California’s geography ranges from the Pacific coast to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the east, to Mojave desert areas in the southeast and the Redwood — Douglas fir forests of the northwest. The center of the state is dominated by the Central Valley, one of the most productive agricultural areas in the world. California is the most geographically diverse state in the nation, and contains the highest (Mount Whitney) and lowest (Death Valley) points in the contiguous United States. Almost 40% of California is forested, a high amount for a relatively arid state.
Beginning in the late 18th century, the area known as Alta California was colonized by the Spanish Empire. In 1821, Mexico, including Alta California, became the First Mexican Empire, beginning as a monarchy, before shifting to a republic. In 1846 a group of American settlers in Sonoma declared the independence of a California Republic. As a result of the Mexican-American War, Mexico ceded California to the United States. It became the 31st state admitted to the union on September 9, 1850.
In the 19th century, the California Gold Rush brought about dramatic social, economic, and demographic change in California, with a large influx of people and an economic boom that caused San Francisco to grow from a hamlet of tents to a world-renowned boomtown. Key developments in the early 20th century included the emergence of Los Angeles as center of the American entertainment industry, and the growth of a large, state-wide tourism sector. In addition to California’s prosperous agricultural industry, other important contributors to the economy include aerospace, petroleum, and information technology. If California were a country, it would rank among the ten largest economies in the world, with a GDP similar to that of Italy. It would be the 35th most populous country.
46. Which of the following is TRUE about California?
A. The population in California is larger than that in any other state in the US.
B. A state of Mexico lies to the southeast of California.
C. Eight biggest cities in California are among the most developed ones in North America.
D. Few races of people live in California except the white and black people.
47. What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A. California’s culture B. California’s history
C. California’s location D. California’s geography
48. How did the United States admit California as its 31st state?
A. By occupying the land. B. By colonizing the land.
C. By winning a war against Mexico. D. By offering aids to Mexico.
49. Why did San Francisco grow from a hamlet of tents to a world-famous boomtown?
A. Because it became the center of the American entertainment industry.
B. Because it had the best growth of a large, state-wide tourism.
C. Because a large number of people rushed there in search of gold.
D. Because it developed many such important contributors to economy as IT.
50. What if California were a country?
A. It would be richer than Italy, a European country.
B. It would be one of the ten richest countries.
C. Its population would be larger than that of 34 countries.
D. It would have a better economy than it has now.
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III 阅读（共两节, 满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Carl’s parents had started a small grocery store and had built it over the years into a major supermarket. Carl now worked there full time.
He liked working at his parent’s business; it was an honest business. He had been brought up to be honest, to tell the truth, and more — he knew that there was such a thing as truth. A year ago, his homeroom teacher had said in front of the whole class:
“There is no such thing as truth.”
Carl Savinski had stood up and said, “That would make your statement false.”
“Huh?”
“That would make your statement false,” Carl had repeated. “If there is no such thing as truth, then your statement is not true. To say that there is no such thing as truth is absurd — you dumb piece of shit!”
Carl was expelled from school for two weeks. He didn’t go back. He joined his parent’s business instead.
In the past year he had learned that to be honest was not only the right thing to do but also the practical thing to do. He saw how his parents had built this business. He saw that they had made reasonable rules for the staff and employed them equally without favoritism. The staff liked working there and his parents had gained a competent work force that cared about the future of the company.
His parents had gained more customers by treating them honestly, by being fair, by giving them more value for their money. If produce was too old, they threw it out; they didn’t sell three-day old bread as fresh.
They stuck to terms with their suppliers: if payment was required in thirty days, they paid in thirty days. If a supplier accidentally shipped more than they were invoiced for, they paid for the extra; but if this happened too often, they changed suppliers. They built up honest relationships with their suppliers. And they gained: they were first to be offered a commodity in short supply, and first to receive a discount if a supplier was over stocked.
In the past year Carl Savinski saw with his own eyes, in his day-to-day job, that being honest paid. He saw that to be reasonable, to be honest, to tell the truth was practical — that one did not suffer a loss by being honest, but made a gain.
41. How long had Carl worked in his parents’ supermarket?
A. For half a year. B. For more than a year.
C. For a year. D. For years.
42. What does the underlined word “expelled” mean?
A. cut off B. driven off C. set off D. warned of
43. Why did the staff like working for Carl’s parents?
A. Because the staff were all equally paid without favoritism.
B. Because Carl’s parents made strict rules for their business.
C. Because the future of the company was really promising.
D. Because the regulations were effective and the staff were equally treated.
44. Which of the following can be seen as an honest operation of the company?
A. They gave more discounts by raising the price.
B. Their butcher cut more fat off the meat.
C. They changed suppliers for cheaper goods.
D. Their contracts are occasionally not carried out.
45. What does this story mainly tell us?
A. Being honest pays off. B. Being honest makes a loss.
C. Not all people believe in truth. D. People have a false belief in truth.
.
Besides relevant theories and keen logic, a scientist who does research in economic psychology and who wants to predict the way in which consumers will spend their money must study consumer behavior. It’s vital for his credit as a qualified economist. He must obtain numbers and material both on the resources of consumers and on the efforts that tend to encourage or discourage money spending.
If an economist were asked which of the three groups borrow most——people with rising incomes, stable incomes or declining incomes——he would probably answer: those with declining incomes. Actually, in the past 5 years, the answer was: people with rising incomes. This shows us that traditional assumptions about earning and spending are not always reliable. Another traditional assumption is that if people who have money expect prices to go up, they will hurry to buy. If they expect prices to go down, they will postpone buying. But research surveys have shown that this is also not always the case. Their expectations of price increases may not stimulate buying. One typical attitude was expressed by the wife of a mechanic in an interview at a time of rising prices. “In a few months,” she said, “we’ll have to pay more for meat and milk. We’ll have less to spend on other things.” Her family had been planning to buy a new car but they postponed this purchase. Furthermore, the rise in prices that has already taken place may be hated and buyer’s resistance may be caused. This is shown by the following typical comment of the wife: “I just don’t pay these prices: they are too high.”
Traditional assumptions should be investigated carefully, and factors of time and place should be considered. The investigations mentioned above were carried out in America. Research conducted at the same time in Great Britain, however, produced results that were more in agreement with traditional assumptions about saving and spending patterns. The condition most beneficial to spending appears to be price stability. If prices have been stable and people have become accustomed to considering the current prices “right”, they are likely to buy. Thus, in a society of good economy which maintains consumer confidence, it appears that the common business policy of maintaining stable prices with occasional sales or discounts is based on a correct understanding of consumer psychology.
72. According to the passage, it is essential for a successful economist to ______.
A. know about economic theories
B. be capable of logical thinking
C. predict the latest national economy
D. to understand consumers’ spending habits
73. The example of the mechanic’s wife is intended to show that ______.
people tend to buy more when prices are expected to fall
people tend to buy less when prices are expected to fall
people tend to buy more when prices are expected to rise
people tend to buy less when prices are expected to rise
74. Findings in investigations in Britain show _____.
consumer behaviour may vary in different places
Britain and America share similar saving and spending patterns
Britain is important in economic research
occasional discounts and sales are important
75. According to the passage, what is most helpful in promoting spending?
A. Big discount. . B. Good consumer confidence.
C. Steady price. D. Positive consumer psychology.
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| The Sunday Times “Expect the Unexpected Australia Adventure” Three ‘Expect the UNEXPECTED AUSTRALIA Adventure’ Packages for 2 must be won! Three instant travel correspondents(回信者) will each get to explore the surprising side of Australia with their partners together with Radio 94 FM DJs Jeanie Austin & Maggie Tan(The Morning Show) and Ronny Henry & Andre Lim (The Unmarried Guys)! This is your chance to discover Australia and, after the journey, to share your adventures on “live radio”.
|
69. Other than the four DJs, how many people will be going to explore the surprising side of Australia?
A. 2 B. 3 C. 6 D. 10
70. Timmy has just got married. Which one of the adventure packages might he choose for his honeymoon?
A. Sydney B. Melbourne C. Queensland D. Tasmania
71. In which way are the winners expected by the organizer to tell about their adventures in Australia?
A. Contact the organizer through email.
B. Post a homemade video on YouTube.
C. Login to www.asiaone.com
D. Report your adventures on “live” radio.
