World leaders met recently at United Nations headquarters in New York City to discuss the environmental issues raised at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The heads of state were supposed to decide what further steps should be taken to halt the decline of Earth’s life-support systems. In fact, this meeting had much the flavour of the original Earth Summit. To wit: empty promises, hollow rhetoric, Bickering between rich and poor, and irrelevant initiatives. Think U. S. Congress in slow motion. Almost obscured by this torpor is the fact that there has been some remarkable progress over the past five years—real changes in the attitude of ordinary people in the Third World toward family size and a dawning realisation that environmental degradation and their own well-being are intimately, and inversely, linked. Almost none of this, however, has anything to do with what the bureaucrats accomplished in Rio. Or it didn’t accomplish. One item on the agenda at Rio, for example, was a renewed effort to save tropical forests.(A previous UN-sponsored initiative had fallen apart when it became clear that it actually hastened deforestation.)After Rio, a UN working group came up with more than 100 recommendations that have so far gone nowhere. One proposed forestry pact would do little more than immunizing wood-exporting nations against trade sanctions. An effort to draft an agreement on what to do about the climate changes caused by CO2 and other greenhouse gases has fared even worse. Blocked by the Bush Administration from setting mandatory limits, the UN in 1992 called on nations to voluntarily reduce emissions to 1990 levels. Several years later, it’s as if Rio had never happened. A new climate treaty is scheduled to be signed this December in Kyoto, Japan, But governments still cannot agree on these limits. Meanwhile, the U. S. produces 7% more CO2 than it did in 1990, and emissions in the developing world have risen even more sharply. No one would confuse the “Rio process“ with progress. While governments have dithered at a pace that could make drifting continents impatient, people have acted. Birth-rates are dropping faster than expected, not because of Rio but because poor people are deciding on their own to reduce family size. Another positive development has been a growing environmental consciousness among the poor. From slum dwellers in Karachi, Pakistan, to colonists in Rondonia, Brazil, urban poor and rural peasants a-like seem to realize that they pay the biggest price for pollution and deforestation. There is cause for hope as well in the growing recognition among business people that it is not in their long-term interest to fight environmental reforms. John Browne, chief executive of British Petroleum, Boldly asserted in a major speech in May that the threat of climate change could no longer be ignored.

Dr. Wilson and Mr. Wang have known each other before.W: Come in, please. M: Good morning, Dr. Wilson. W: Good morning, Wang. How nice to meet you again. Take a seat. . . why don’t you, please. When did you get to the university? M: I arrived yesterday. W: Well. . . are you living in the college? M: No, I am with an English family. . . actually. . . because I want to improve my speaking. W: Oh, fine. Right, did you take a language proficiency test before you came? M: Yes. Uhh. . . my Overall Band is 6, but. . . unfortunately my speaking score is only 5. W: OK, you know, here in this university, you have to take our own English test before you attend any lectures. So, first of all, what we’ve got to do is, we have to make an arrangement for the test date. Umm. . . will tomorrow be all right for you? M: Yeah, I have time tomorrow morning. W: Good, then. Tomorrow at ten. I don’t think the test will be any problem for you. Now, let’s make sure you make good use of your time here. Let’s put it like this. What exactly do you want to accomplish in the next 12 months? M: I’m interested in computer language translation, I mean, from English to Chinese and Chinese to English. I’ll try, if possible, to produce software or a device which can serve as an interpreter. W: Yes, could you be a bit more specific about. . . er. . . the device? M: For instance, when you talk to the device in English it will translate your words into Chinese and vice versa. W: Uhuh... do you mean it’ll be as competent as... er... a human interpreter? M: Yes. . . well, I’ll let it deal with general situations, at least. W: Fascinating. . . and how big will the device itself be, do you think? M: The size of a cigarette pack, I think. So people can put it in their pocket. W: Really? Well, that could be a Ph. D project. Tell me what you have done so far. M: In my four years of undergraduate study, I studied electronics, advanced mathematics, hardware designing, some computer languages and program writing. W; Yes, but have you done any practical jobs? I mean, have you written any programs for practical use? M: I had been involved in a project for CAD in a shipyard. W: Computer aided design. That was probably a good experience, but, unfortunately, it may not help your present project much. Are you familiar with the C-language? M: No. W: Uhuh. . . the phonetic processing system, do you know how such a system works? M: What do you mean by “phonetic processing system“? W: Well, you know, English is spoken by different people with different accents. Your English accent is different from mine, and of course mine is not the same as my colleagues’. So as I see it, your device would have to be able to recognise and understand different accents. M: Oh, I see. I think I can learn the C-language and the phonetic processing system here. W: Well, that’s probably true, but you’ve got only twelve months and you want a degree, don’t you? M: Yes. W: OK, so there’re two ways of studying for a degree here. You either take six courses, pass their exams and have your dissertation accepted or the other way is you do some research work and submit your project report. M: I think I’ll take the second way. W: Fine, but are you sure you can finish your project in twelve months? M: I don’t know, but I can work twelve hours per day and seven days per week. W: Well, I’d suggest you spend some time in our library, trying to find out what other students have done before and perhaps reconsider your own project, to some extent. You might narrow your research area, concentrating on solving one or two major problems. And, it’d be a good idea to talk to your colleagues in the lab, first. Anyway, I’m sure we can work out something good. Shall I see you again in three days’ time? M: A11 right. I’ll go away and do some thinking. Then I’ll talk to you about my new plan. W: Good. see you then. M: Thank you. Bye-bye. TRUE FALSE

World leaders met recently at United Nations headquarters in New York City to discuss the environmental issues raised at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. The heads of state were supposed to decide what further steps should be taken to halt the decline of Earth’s life-support systems. In fact, this meeting had much the flavour of the original Earth Summit. To wit: empty promises, hollow rhetoric, Bickering between rich and poor, and irrelevant initiatives. Think U. S. Congress in slow motion. Almost obscured by this torpor is the fact that there has been some remarkable progress over the past five years—real changes in the attitude of ordinary people in the Third World toward family size and a dawning realisation that environmental degradation and their own well-being are intimately, and inversely, linked. Almost none of this, however, has anything to do with what the bureaucrats accomplished in Rio. Or it didn’t accomplish. One item on the agenda at Rio, for example, was a renewed effort to save tropical forests.(A previous UN-sponsored initiative had fallen apart when it became clear that it actually hastened deforestation.)After Rio, a UN working group came up with more than 100 recommendations that have so far gone nowhere. One proposed forestry pact would do little more than immunizing wood-exporting nations against trade sanctions. An effort to draft an agreement on what to do about the climate changes caused by CO₂ and other greenhouse gases has fared even worse. Blocked by the Bush Administration from setting mandatory limits, the UN in 1992 called on nations to voluntarily reduce emissions to 1990 levels. Several years later, it’s as if Rio had never happened. A new climate treaty is scheduled to be signed this December in Kyoto, Japan, But governments still cannot agree on these limits. Meanwhile, the U. S. produces 7% more CO₂ than it did in 1990, and emissions in the developing world have risen even more sharply. No one would confuse the “Rio process“ with progress. While governments have dithered at a pace that could make drifting continents impatient, people have acted. Birth-rates are dropping faster than expected, not because of Rio but because poor people are deciding on their own to reduce family size. Another positive development has been a growing environmental consciousness among the poor. From slum dwellers in Karachi, Pakistan, to colonists in Rondonia, Brazil, urban poor and rural peasants a-like seem to realize that they pay the biggest price for pollution and deforestation. There is cause for hope as well in the growing recognition among business people that it is not in their long-term interest to fight environmental reforms. John Browne, chief executive of British Petroleum, Boldly asserted in a major speech in May that the threat of climate change could no longer be ignored.

A = Audi A3 B = Honda Civic C = Rover 200 D = Toyota Camry Hybrid Which car... has a driver seat that can be adjusted to fit most people? 【P1】______ offers a poor view even when the mirrors are used? 【P2】______ could be considered a bargain even at its retail price? 【P3】______ has a convenient way to extend the space for suitcases? 【P4】______ uses the same gas/electric system as the Prius and Highlander Hybrid SUV? 【P5】______ offers the most easily tuned radio? 【P6】______ would remain silent in the event of theft? 【P7】______ allows easy access to the back seats? 【P8】______ has the best engine design in terms of saving money? 【P9】______ has its handbook criticized? 【P10】______ A Most of our drivers said the A3 was their definite favourite in this group. They described it as refined and comfortable with good handing characteristics and light, precise steering. All the seats were comfortable and the front ones were easy to adjust. Most drivers liked the driving position, helped by a good range of steering wheel and seat height adjustments. The main instruments were clear and dashboard controls were well positioned. Mirror coverage was excellent but our drivers complained that the view out of the rear was badly hindered by the high rear window line and thick pillars. Getting into the back seats was easy, thanks to a clever seat mechanism, which moves the seat up and forward as well as tilting the backrest. Rear legroom was reasonable but the rear seat was only barely wide enough for three adults. Luggage space was average for this class of car but you have to remove the rear head restraints to fold the rear seat. There were plenty of useful interior storage spaces. All A3s come with an alarm and immobilizer as standard. Our ’ thief got in through the doors in 20 seconds, but the radio was a non-standard fit, which is probably to deter thieves. The hinges of the rear seats could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, the driver’s knees could be damaged by stiff structures under the dash. Some parts of the fuel system and electrics would be vulnerable to damage in a frontal collision. B Honda says its special VTEC engine has a winning combination of economy and performance, But our drivers found it a bit of a curate’s egg. It was the most economical of the cars on test, But drivers found it sluggish at low revs, and its acceleration in the fifth gear was slow, so overtaking normally meant having to shift down to the fourth gear. The driving position was acceptable, but our panel criticized the restricted rear visibility—the rear window was quite small. Drivers found the back rest supportive but it was not available to make fine adjustments to the angle. The ride comfort was acceptable, But it wasn’t as good as the Audi’s or Rover’s. The driver’s seat didn’t slide forward when it was tilted, making rear access awkwardly from this side. In the back, headroom and legroom was excellent but testers didn’t find the seats particularly comfortable. The luggage space was small for this class of car, especially with the rear seats in place. However, folding the rear seat to increase luggage space was easy. Other points proved by our panel included well-placed minor controls, good mirror coverage, But fiddly radio controls. All Civics come with an immoblizer but no alarm. You may want to consider paying extra for an alarm, as our ’thief broke into through the doors in 13 seconds, and into the engine bay in just five seconds. There were stiff structures under the dash which could damage the driver’s knees in an accident, though there was no problem on the passenger’s side. The handbook(like the Audi’s)provided suggestion on using child restraints. C The 1.6-litre engine had good power delivery at both high and low revs but some drivers complained that it was noisy at high revs. The brakes didn’t have very good progression, But drivers like their positive feel. Ride comfort and the handling were recommended. But drivers found it difficult to achieve a comfortable driving position. The driver’s seat was not height-adjustable, and there was only limited space to rest your clutch foot. Some testers also found the seat backrest uncomfortable. Visibility was barried by the small mirrors. The rear view was also restricted by thick pillars and the small rear window. Getting into the back was tricky because the front seats did not slide forward when tilted. Once in the back, leg-room and headroom were poor, and testers complained that their rear seat base was unsupportive. Luggage space was smaller than average for this class of car—this was compounded by a high boot sill and difficulties in folding the rear seat. But there were large pockets in the doors and rear side panels. The main radio controls were more convenient; they were mounted on the steering wheel so drivers didn’t have to take their hands off the wheel to use them. Our Rover 200s came with an alarm, though this isn’t standard on all versions. Our ’ thief broke in through the doors in 15 seconds. Some of the electrics would be vulnerable in a frontal impact. The rear seat hinges could release in an accident, allowing luggage to crash through into the passenger compartment. Also, information in the handbook on using child restrains was not adequate. D At some point, most everything gets discounted, the regular retail price slashed and likely noted with oversized red numerals and exclamation marks. In early spring, there are sales to clear out excess snow shovels and discounts on lawn furniture to get a head start on the upcoming summer season, which itself follows with selling bonanzas showcasing air conditioners and swimming apparel, or maybe 2-for-l tickets to the local amusement park. Through it all, car manufacturers and dealers are offering every incentive under the sun to move the metal, an exercise that is becoming increasingly difficult because of one commodity’ s unwillingness to decrease in price more than a few pennies every now and again. Gasoline never goes on sale, much to the disdain of SUV, truck, and large sedan-selling dealers everywhere. Unless, of course, they operate under a Toyota sign, which means that sitting next to the V8-powered, four-wheel-drive Tundra pickup is a 2007 Camry Hybrid, a midsize sedan that gets an EPA-estimated 40 mpg in the city, and at just under $ 31, 000 fully loaded, could be considered a bargain even at its retail price. Power for the 192-horsepower 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid comes from the company’ s Hybrid Synergy Drive, the same gas/electric system used in the Prius and Highlander Hybrid SUV. In the Camry version, that includes a 2. 4 liter, dual overhead cam, 16-valve four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. Engine output measures 147 horsepower at 6, 000 rpm and 138 lb. -ft. of torque at 4, 400 rpm, with the hybrid’ s electric motor tacking on a-bout 45 horsepower and 199 lb. -ft. of torque available from 0-1, 500 rpm.

It is generally acknowledged that families are now not as close as they used to be. Give possible reasons and your commendations.

You may say that the business of marking books is going to slow down your reading.【C1】______probably will. That’s one of the【C2】______ for doing it. Most of us have been taken in by the notion that speed of【C3】______is a measure of our intelligence. There is【C4】______such things as the right【C5】______for intelligent reading. Some things should be【C6】______ quickly and effortlessly, and some should be read【C7】______and even laboriously. The sign of intelligence【C8】______ reading is the ability to read【C9】______things differently according to their worth. In the【C10】______of good books, the point is not to see how many of them can you get through, 【C11】______ how many can you get through them—how many you can【C12】______your own. A few friends are【C13】______ than a thousand acquaintances. If this be your goal, 【C14】______it should be, you will not be impatient if it takes more time and effort to read a great book than a newspaper【C15】______. You may have another objection to【C16】______books. You can’t lend them to your friends【C17】______ nobody else can read them【C18】______being distracted by your notes. What’s more, you won’t want to lend them because a【C19】______copy is a kind of intellectual diary, and【C20】______it is almost like giving your mind away. If your friend hopes to read your Shakespeare, or The Federalist Papers, tell him, gently but firmly, to buy a copy. You will lend him your car or your coat—but your books are as much a part of you as your head or your heart.

Which job does the woman suggest to the man?M: I really don’ t know what to do this summer. I can’ t afford to just sit a-round, and there don’t seem to be any jobs available. W: Why don’t you try house-sitting? Last summer my friend Sally house-sat for the Gammons when they went away on vacation. Mrs. Gammon hired Sally to stay in their house because she didn’ t want it left empty. M: You mean the Gammons paid Sally just to live in their house? W: It wasn’ t easy. She had to mow the lawn and water the houseplants. And when Jodi house-sat for Mr. Johnson, he had to take care of his pets. M: House-sitting sounds like a good job. I guess it’ s a little like baby-sitting—except you’ re taking care of a house instead of children. W: The student employment office still has a few jobs posted. M: Do I just have to fill out an application? W: Sally and Jodi had to interview with the homeowners and provided three references each. M: That seems like a lot of trouble for a summer job. W: Well, the homeowners want some guarantee so that they can trust the house-sitter. You know, they want to make sure you’ re not the type who’ 11 throw wild parties in their house, or move a group of friends in with you. M: House-sitters who do that sort of thing probably aren’ t paid then. W: Usually they’ re paid anyway just because the homeowners don’ t want to make a fuss. But if the homeowner reported it, then the house-sitter wouldn’t be able to get another job. So if the homeowner reported it, then the house-sitter wouldn’ t be able to get another job. So why don’ t you apply? M: Yeah, I think I will. Baby-sitting. House-cleaning. House-sitting. Mowing the lawn.

What was the cause of the tragedy?M: Did you hear about the air crash that occurred in South America recently? It was quite a tragic accident! W: No, I didn’t see anything in the news about it. What happened? M: A foreign airliner was attempting to land at night in a mountainous area in Argentina and flew into a hill! W: That sounds really terrible! Did anyone survive? M: No, everyone aboard, including the crew, was killed instantly. W: What were the circumstances? Were they bad weather, a fire, or engine failure? M: Apparently, there were some low clouds in the area, but mostly it was just miscommunication between the pilots and the air traffic controllers. W: Weren’t they both speaking in English, the official international aviation language? M: Yes they were, but the transition from poor quality radios was slightly distorted and the accents of the Spanish speaking controllers was so strong that the pilots misunderstood a vital instruction. W: How could a misunderstanding like that cause such a serious accident? M: The pilots were told to descend to 22, 000 feet. The instruction actually meant 22, 000 feet, but they thought they heard descend 2, 000 feet. That’ s a huge difference, and it should have been confirmed, but it was not. Unfortunately, the terrain of the mountains in Norweija ascend to 2 , 000 feet. W: So the pilots did descend to the wrong altitude then, because they were following the air controller’ s instructions. M: Sadly enough, yes they did. It was a really bad mistake. Many people died as a result of the simply misunderstanding. W: Wow, that’ s a powerful lesson on how important it can be to accurately communicate with each other. Bad weather. Human error. Breakdown of the engines. Communications system failure.

What is the main problem caused by the usual way of plowing?Farmers usually use plows to prepare their fields for planting crops. Plows cut into the ground, and lift up weeds, and other unwanted plants. However, plowing is blamed for causing severe damage to top soil by removing the plants that protect soil from being blown or washed away. Many farmers in South Asia are now trying a process called Low Till Farming. Low Till Farming limits the use of plows. In this method of farming, seeds and fertilizer are put into the soil through small cuts made in the surface of the ground. Low Till Agriculture leaves much or all the soil and remains of plants on the ground. They serve as a natural fertilizer and help support the roots of future crops. They take in rain and allow it to flow into the soil instead of running off. It has been proved that Low Till Farming increases harvests and reduces water use, and this method reduces the need for chemical products because there are fewer unwanted plants. Scientists say Low Till Farming is becoming popular in South Asia, which is facing a severe water shortage. They say the area will become dependent on imported food unless water is saved through methods like Low Till Farming. Currently, more than 150 million people in South Asia depend on local rice and wheat crops. Farmers grow rice during wet weather. During the dry season they grow wheat in the same fields. Farmers are using the Low Till Farming method to plant wheat after harvesting rice. Scientists say Low Till Agriculture is one of the best examples in the world of technologies working for both people and the environment. The crop’ s blooming period is delayed. The roots of crops are cut off. The topsoil is seriously damaged. The growth of weeds is accelerated.

What did the speaker talk about last time?Last time we started looking at the question of management and wondering what the term actually meant. Then we took a brief look at the concept of scientific management. You remember, we decided it was useful but not enough on its own. So today we’re going to look at another aspect—behavioral management. You may not really have come across this word “behavioral“ before, though I’m sure you are familiar with the word “behavior“. Behavioral simply means having to do with behavior. And that is our starting point for today: We are going to start by realizing that the activity of any organization is human activity, designed to achieve human goals. So we are really talking about human behavior. Any business concern does two things. First, it provides either goods or services that the customer needs. That is, it either makes things or does things for other people in exchange for money. Second, it provides people with work—and most of us have to work in order to make a living. Work, much as we may sometimes wish we didn’t have to do it, or not quite so much of it, has in fact two advantages. First—and I spoke about this last time—it can give us satisfaction. We can be proud of what we are doing—like a craftsman making something beautiful, or a doctor of a nurse helping people who are ill or in pain. This is what I called job satisfaction, and without it I am sure work can become an awful burden. And on a more basic level, work earns us money, which we can use to buy the things we need in order to live, like food and somewhere to live, as well as all the luxuries we could probably do without but still like to have. Behavioral management is based on a research of how people behave at work. It uses the findings of psychologists and sociologists, and so on. These make a study of individuals and groups to see what things influence the way they behave in different conditions. The results can then be used to design the best conditions in which people will perform—or behave—in the way that a manager wants them to in order to make a business more efficient and to achieve its goals. They have collected a lot of evidence and formulated a lot of theories to help the manager, and there is no doubt that properly understood and applied, this can be very useful. But still we return to the fact that people are individuals, all different from each other, and all—as we say—with minds of their own. So no matter what the manager knows about the way people behave in groups and so on, he has really to treat everyone on his staff as an individual in his own right. Of course, he can be helped in this by knowing how to encourage people to do things, how to stimulate them to behave in a certain way, and so on. A manager can himself be taught how to do this, but however unscientific this may sound, it is more likely that a good manager is born rather than trained. He has some natural ability to recognize what people are likely to do, what abilities they have, and other things like that. Realizing this, and then applying what he has learned about human behavior, is what makes someone a good manager. So behavioral management is management based on an assessment of an individual and the application of what is known about how people in general tend to behave. Like scientific management, it is undoubtedly useful, but not, the complete answer.

Throughout history there have been many unusual taxes levied on such things as hats, Beds, Baths, marriages, and funerals. At one time England levied a tax on sunlight by collection from every household with six or more windows. And according to legend, there was a Turkish ruler who collected a tax each time he dined with one of his subjects. Why? To pay for the wear and tear on his teeth! Different kinds of taxes help to spread the tax burden. Anyone who pays a tax is said to “bear the burden“of the tax. The burden of a tax may fall more heavily on some persons than on others. That is why the three levels of government in this country use several kinds of taxes. This spreads the burden of taxes among more people. From the standpoint of their use, the most important taxes are income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and estate, inheritance, and gift taxes. Some are used by only one level of government; others by two or even all three levels. Together these different taxes make up what is called our tax system. Income taxes are the main source of federal revenues. The federal government gets more than three-fourths of its revenue from income taxes. As its name indicated, an income tax is a tax on earnings. Both individuals and business corporations pay a federal income tax. The oldest tax in the United States today is the property tax. It provides most of the income for local governments. It provides at least a part of the income for all but a few states. It is not used by the federal government. A sales tax is a tax levied on purchases. Most people living in the United States know about sales taxes since they are used in all but four states. Actually there are several kinds of sales taxes, But only three of them are important. They are general sales taxes, excise taxes, and import taxes. Other three closely related taxes are estate, inheritance, and gift taxes. Everything a person owns, including both real and personal property, makes up his or her estate. When someone dies, ownership of his or her property or estate passes on to one or more individuals or organizations. Before the property is transferred, however, it is subject to an estate tax if its value exceeds a certain amount.

Opinion polls are now beginning to show that, whoever is to blame and whatever happens from now on, high unemployment is probably here to stay. This means we shall have to make ways of sharing the available employment more widely. But we need to go further. We must ask some primary questions about the future of work. Would we continue to treat employment as the norm? Would we not rather encourage many other ways for self-respecting people to work? Should we not create conditions in which many of us can work for ourselves, rather than for an employer? Should we not aim to revive the household and the neighborhood, as well as the factory and the office, as centers of production and work? The industrial age has been the only period of human history in which most people’s work has taken the form of jobs. The industrial age may now be coming to an end, and some of the changes in work patterns which it brought may have to be reversed. This seems a daunting thought. But, in fact, it could provide the prospect of a better future for work. Universal employment, as its history shows, has not meant economic freedom. Employment became widespread when the enclosures of the 17th and 18th centuries made many people dependent on paid work by depriving them of the use of the land, and thus of the means to provide a living for themselves. Then the factory system destroyed the cottage industries and removed work from people’s homes. Later, as transportation improved, first by rail and then by road, people commuted longer distances to their places of employment until, eventually, many people’s work lost all connection with their home lives and the place in which they lived. Meanwhile, employment put women at a disadvantage. In pre-industrial time, men and women had shared the productive work of the household and village community. Now it became customary for the husband to go out to paid employment, leaving the unpaid work of the home and family to his wife. Tax and benefit regulations still assume this norm today and restrict more flexible sharing of work roles between the sexes. It was not only women whose work status suffered. As employment became the dominant form of work, young people and old people were excluded—a problem now, as more teenagers become frustrated at school and more retired people want to live active lives. All this may now have to change. The time has certainly come to switch some effort and resources away from the idealist goal of creating jobs for all, to the urgent practical task of helping many people to manage without full time jobs.

Periodically in history, there come periods of great transition in which work changes its meaning. There was a time, perhaps 10, 000 years ago, when human beings stopped feeding themselves by hunting game and gathering plants, and increasingly turned to agriculture. In a way, that represented the invention of “work“. Then, in the latter decades of the 18th century, as the Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain, there was another transition in which the symbols of work were no longer the hoe and the plow; they were replaced by the mill and the assembly line. 【R1】______ With the Industrial Revolution, machinery—powered first by steam, then by electricity and internal combustion engines—took over the hard physical tasks and relieved the strain on human and animal muscles. 【R2】______ And yet, such jobs have been characteristic of the human condition in the first three-quarters of the 20th century. They’ ve made too little demand on the human mind and spirit to keep them fresh and alive, made too much demand for any machine to serve the purpose until now. The electronic computer, invented in the 1940’s and improved at breakneck speed, was a machine that, for the first time, seemed capable of doing work that had until then been the preserve of the human mind. With the coming of the microchip in the 1970’ s, computers became compact enough, versatile enough and(most important of all)cheap enough to serve as the brains of affordable machines that could take their place on the assembly line and in the office. 【R3】______ First, what will happen to the human beings who have been working at these disappearing jobs? Second, where will we get the human beings that will do the new jobs that will appear—jobs that are demanding, interesting and mind-exercising, but that requires a high-tech level of thought and education? 【R4】______ The first problem, that of technological unemployment, will be temporary, for it will arise out of the fact that there is now a generation of employees who have not been educated to fit the computer age. However, (in advanced nations, at least)they will be the last generation to be so lacking, so that with them this problem will disappear or, at least, diminish to the point of non-crisis proportions. The second problem—that of developing a large enough number of high-tech minds to run a high-tech world— will be no problem at all, once we adjust our thinking. 【R5】______ Right now, creativity seems to be confined to a very few, and it is easy to suppose that that is the way it must be. However, with the proper availability of computerized education, humanity will surprise the elite few once again. A. There remained, however, the “easier“ labor—the labor that required the human eyes, ears, judgment and mind but no sweating. It nevertheless had its miseries, for it tended to be dull, repetitious, and boring. And there is always the sour sense of endlessly doing something unpleasant under compulsion. B. For one thing, much of human effort that is today put into “running the world“ will be unnecessary. With computers, robots and automation, a great deal of the daily grind will appear to be running itself. This is nothing startling. It is a trend that has been rapidly on its way ever since World War II. C. And now we stand at the brink of a change that will be the greatest of all, for work in its old sense will disappear altogether. To most people, work has always been an effortful exercising of mind or body—compelled by the bitter necessity of earning the necessities of life—plus an occasional period of leisure in which to rest or have fun. D. Clearly there will be a painful period of transition, one that is starting already, and one that will be in full swing as the 21st century begins. E. In the first place, the computer age will introduce a total revolution in our notions of education, and is beginning to do so now. The coming of the computer will make learning fun, and a successfully stimulated mind will learn quickly. It will undoubtedly turn out that the “average“ child is much more intelligent and creative than we generally suppose. There was a time, after all, when the ability to read and write was confined to a very small group of “scholars“ and almost all of them would have scouted the notion that just about anyone could learn the intricacies of literacy. Yet with mass education general literacy came to be a fact. F. This means that the dull, the boring, the repetitious, the mind-stultifying work will begin to disappear from the job market—is already beginning to disappear. This, of course, will introduce two vital sets of problem—is already introducing them.

Which of the following best summarizes the text?

The word “deforestation“ in Paragraph 3 means______.

What did the UN call on nations to do about CO₂ and other greenhouse gases in 1992?

What does the author say about the ordinary people in the Third World countries?

The writer’s general attitude towards the world leaders meeting at the UN is______.

Which of the following best summarizes the text?

The word “deforestation“ in Paragraph 3 means______.

What did the UN call on nations to do about CO2 and other greenhouse gases in 1992?

What does the author say about the ordinary people in the Third World countries?

The writer’s general attitude towards the world leaders meeting at the UN is______.

What did the UN call on nations to do about CO₂ and other greenhouse gases in 1992?