Part A
Directions:Read the following four texts. Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET 1. (40 points)
Though often viewed as a problem for western states, the growing frequency of wildfires is a national concern because of its impact on federal tax dollars, says Professor Max Moritz, a specialist in fire ecology and management.
In 2015, the US Forest Service for the first time spent more than half of its $5.5 billion annual budget fighting fires—nearly double the percentage it spent on such efforts 20 years ago. In effect, fewer federal funds today are going towards the agency´ s other work—such as forest conservation, watershed and cultural resources management, and infrastructure upkeep—that affect the lives of all Americans.
Another nationwide concern is whether public funds from other agencies are going into construction in fire prone districts. As Moritz puts it, how often are federal dollars building homes that are likely to be lost to a wildfire?
" It´ s already a huge problem from a public expenditure perspective for the whole country," he says. We need to take a magnifying glass to that. Like, "Wait a minute, is this OK?" "Do we want instead to redirect those funds to concentrate on lower-hazard parts of the landscape?"
Such a view would require a corresponding shift in the way US society today views fire, researchers say.
For one thing, conversations about wildfires need to be more inclusive. Over the past decade, the focus has been on climate change—how the warming of the Earth from greenhouse gases is leading to conditions that worsen fires.
While climate is a key element, Moritz says, it shouldn´ t come at the expense of the rest of the equation.
"The human systems and the landscapes we live on are linked, and the interactions go both ways," he says. Failing to recognize that, he notes, leads to "an overly simplified view of what the solutions might be. Our perception of the problem and of what the solution is becomes very limited".
At the same time, people continue to treat fire as an event that needs to be wholly controlled and unleashed only out of necessity, says Professor Balch at the University of Colorado. But acknowledging fire´ s inevitable presence in human life is an attitude crucial to developing the laws, policies, and practices that make it as safe as possible, she says.
"We´ ve disconnected ourselves from living with fire," Balch says. "It is really important to understand and try and tease out what is the human connection with fire today. "
第36题
More frequent wildfires have become a national concern because in 2015 they____.
A.exhausted unprecedented management efforts
B.consumed a record-high percentage of budget
C.severely damaged the ecology of western states
D.caused a huge rise of infrastructure expenditure
第37题
Moritz calls for the use of "a magnifying glass" to____.
A.raise more funds for fire prone areas
B.avoid the redirection of federal money
C.find wildfire-free parts of the landscape
D.guarantee safer spending of public funds
第38题
While admitting that climate is a key element, Moritz notes that____.
A.public debates have not settled yet
B.fire-fighting conditions are improving
C.other factors should not be overlooked
D.a shift in the view of fire has taken place
第39题
The overly simplified view Moritz mentions is a result of failing to____.
A.discover the fundamental makeup of nature
B.explore the mechanism of the human systems
C.maximize the role of landscape in human life
D.understand the interrelations of man and nature
第40题
Professor Balch points out that fire is something man should____.
A.do away with
e to terms with
C.pay a price for
D.keep away from
上一题 下一题
(41~45/共5题)Part B
Directions:Read the following text and answer the questions by choosing the most suitable subheading from the list A-G for each numbered paragraph (41-45).There are two extra subheadings which you do not need to use. Make your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points)
The decline in American manufacturing is a common refrain, particularly from Donald Trump. " We don´ t make anything anymore," he told Fox News, while defending his own made-in-Mexico clothing line.
Without question, manufacturing has taken a significant hit during recent decades, and further trade deals raise questions about whether new shocks could hit manufacturing.
But there is also a different way to look at the data.
Across the country, factory owners are now grappling with a new challenge: instead of having too many workers, they may end up with too few. Despite trade competition and outsourcing, American manufacturing still needs to replace tens of thousands of retiring boomers every year. Millennials may not be that interested in taking their place, other industries are recruiting them with similar or better pay.
For factory owners, it all adds up to stiff competition for workers—and upward pressure on wages. "They´ re harder to find and they have job offers," says Jay Dunwell, president of Wolverine Coil Spring, a family-owned firm, " They may be coming[into the workforce], but they´ ve been plucked by other industries that are also doing as well as manufacturing," Mr. Dunwell has begun bringing high school juniors to the factory so they can get exposed to its culture.
But it doesn´ t __11__ follow from findings like these that a world without work would be filled with unease. Such visions are based on the __12__ of being unemployed in a society built on the concept of employment. In the __13__ of work, a society designed with other ends in mind could __14__ strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure. Today, the __15__ of work may be a bit overblown. "Many jobs are boring, degrading, unhealthy, and a waste of human potential, " says John Danaher, a lecturer at the National University of Ireland in Galway.
These days, because leisure time is relatively __16__ for most workers, people use their free time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional __17__ of their jobs. "When I come home from a hard day´ s work, I often feel __18__ ," Danaher says, adding, "In a world in which I don ´ t have to work, I might feel rather different"—perhaps different enough to throw himself __19__ a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for __20__ matters.
At RoMan Manufacturing, a maker of electrical transformers and welding equipment that his father cofounded in 1980, Robert Roth keeps a close eye on the age of his nearly 200 workers, five are retiring this year. Mr. Roth has three community-college students enrolled in a work-placement program, with a starting wage of $ 13 an hour that rises to $ 17 after two years.
At a worktable inside the transformer plant, young Jason Stenquist looks flustered by the copper coils he´ s trying to assemble and the arrival of two visitors. It´ s his first week on the job. Asked about his choice of career, he says at high school he considered medical school before switching to electrical engineering. "I love working with tools. I love creating," he says.
But to win over these young workers, manufacturers have to clear another major hurdle: parents, who lived through the worst US economic downturn since the Great Depression, telling them to avoid the factory. Millennial "remember their father and mother both were laid off. They blame it on the manufacturing recession," says Birgit Klohs, chief executive of The Right Place, a business development agency for western Michigan.
These concerns aren´ t misplaced; Employment in manufacturing has fallen from 17 million in 1970 to 12 million in 2015. When the recovery began, worker shortages first appeared in the high-skilled trades. Now shortages are appearing at the mid-skill levels.
" The gap is between the jobs that take no skills and those that require a lot of skill," says Rob Spohr, a business professor at Montcalm Community College. "There´ re enough people to fill the jobs at McDonalds and other places where you don´ t need to have much skill. It´ s that gap in between, and that´ s where the problem is. "
Julie Parks of Grand Rapids Community points to another key to luring Millennials into manufacturing: a work/life balance. While their parents were content to work long hours, young people value flexibility. "Overtime is not attractive to this generation. They really want to live their lives," she says.
[A]says that he switched to electrical engineering because he loves working with tools.
[B]points out that there are enough people to fill the jobs that don´ t need much skill.
[C]points out that the US doesn´t manufacture anything anymore.
[D]believes that it is important to keep a close eye on the age of his workers.
[E]says that for factory owners, workers are harder to find because of stiff competition.
[F]points out that a work/life balance can attract young people into manufacturing.
[G]says that the manufacturing recession is to blame for the lay—off the young people´ s parents.
第41题
Jay Dunwell ______
第42题
Jason Stenquist ______
第43题
Birgit Klohs ______
第44题
Rob Spohr ______
第45题
Julie Parks ______
上一题 下一题
(1/1)Section II Reading Comprehension Part C
第46题
My dream has always been to work somewhere in an area between fashion and publishing. Two years before graduating from secondary school, I took a sewing and design course thinking that I would move on to a fashion design course. However, during that course I realised that I was not good enough in this area to compete with other creative personalities in the future, so I decided that it was not the right path for me. Before applying for university I told everyone that I would study journalism, because writing was, and still is, one of my favourite activities. But, to be absolutely honest, I said it, because I thought that fashion and me together was just a dream—I knew that no one could imagine me in the fashion industry at all! So I decided to look for some fashion-related courses that included writing. This is when I noticed the course " Fashion Media Promotion". ____________
上一题 下一题
(1/1)Part A
Directions: Write a composition/letter of no less than 100 words on the following information. (10 points)
第47题
Suppose you are invited by Professor Williams to give a presentation about Chinese culture to a group of international students. Write a reply to
(1)accept the invitation, and
(2)introduce the key points of your presentation.
You should write neatly on the ANWSER SHEET.
Do not sign you own name at the end of the letter, use "Li Ming " instead.
Do not write the address.(10 points)
________________________
上一题 下一题
(1/1)Part B
Directions: Write an essay of 160 - 200 words based on the following information. (20 points)
第48题
Write an essay based on the following chart. In your essay,you should
(1)interpret the chart, and
(2)give your comments.
You should write about 150 words neatly on the ANSWER SHEET.(15 points)
Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers
Answer the questions after each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers
Answer the questions on each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on
Answer the questions below each text by choosing [A], [B], C. or [D]. Mark your
Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D.__________________
Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D] on
Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark [A], [B], [C] or [D] on
Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the AN
Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER
B).c) and D).You should make the correct choice and mark the correspondingletter