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Directions: Write an essay of around 200 words entitled "On Being Thrift" based on the following pi...
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Directions:Inthispartyouaretowriteanessayof160—200
Directions: Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwrite
PartB Directions: Youarerequiredtowriteanessayont
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefo
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions: Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthef
Directions: Studythepicturesabovecarefullyandwrit
Directions:Studythepicturesabovecarefullyandwritea
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions: Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwrite
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions: Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwrite
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefo
Directions: Youarerequiredtowriteanessayoffthetop
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefo
Directions:Studythetwopicturesabovecarefullyandwri
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
Directions:Writeanessayof160-200wordsbasedonthefol
Directions:Studythepictureabovecarefullyandwritean
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AllU.S.nuclearweaponsproductionfacilitiesarepresentlycloseddownandifthevariousagreementsareadheredtothosefacilitieswillneverberequiredexceptforonecriticalcapability.Allmodernnuclearweaponsuseuranium铀plutonium钚andtritium氚.Uraniumandplutoniumhaveverylonghalf-livesandthereislargesurplusofthesematerials. Tritiumhoweverhasarelativelyshorthalf-lifeofabout12.6yearssoabout5percentoftheamountonhandmustbereplacedeachyeartomaintainthecurrentinventory.46BecauseofthelargeretirementofnuclearweaponsbytheUnitedStatesincompliancewithearlyagreementsandnationalpolicytritiumfromretiredweaponshasbeenusedtomakeupthatlostthroughnaturaldecay.47Howeverinabout10to15yearsdependingonfuturenegotiationstheUnitedStateswillneedaguaranteedsupplyoftritiumtomaintainitsstockpileatwhateverlevelisagreedon. InanticipationofthisfutureneedtoproducetritiumDefenseOfficeExecutiveispursuingtwotechnologies.Oneusesanuclearreactorthatcouldalsoproduceelectricitywhosesalewouldrecovernotonlythecapitalcostofthereactorbutalsoitsannualoperationalcost.48UnfortunatelythepresentAdministrationhasadefinitebiasagainstnuclearpowersoanalternativemethodisalsobeingpursuedeventhoughitisagreedthatitwillcosttwiceasmuchasareactoranduseasmuchelectricityasareactorwouldproduce.Thistechnologyusesanacceleratortoproducehigh-energyprotonsthatinturnproduceneutrons. Themainargumentfortheacceleratoristhatitproducesnoconventionalnuclearwastes.49Proponentsreadilyadmitthatitwillproduceradioactivematerialsbutwitharelativelyshorthalf-lifecomparedwiththatofwastesfromspentnuclearfuel.Thefactthattheacceleratorwillrequiretheequivalentofanuclearpowerplanttosupplyitselectricityisignored. 50Proponents’alsoneglecttomentionthatabout22percentofallelectricalenergygeneratedintheUnitedStatescomesfromnuclearpowerplantssothat22percentofthepowerusedbytheacceleratorwillgenerateconventionalnuclearwastesinadditiontothosetheacceleratorproduces.ThereisanalternativetoeitherthereactorortheacceleratorwhichissimplytobuytherequiredtritiumfromCanadaorRussia. 50Proponents’alsoneglecttomentionthatabout22percentofallelectricalenergygeneratedintheUnitedStatescomesfromnuclearpowerplantssothat22percentofthepowerusedbytheacceleratorwillgenerateconventionalnuclearwastesinadditiontothosetheacceleratorproduces.
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 12
GermanChancellorAngelaMerkelwonoverGermanvotersintheFederalElectiononSept.27.CanshenowbewonoverbyaFrenchcharmoffensive1atrepairingtherelationshipthatwasonceattheheartofEuropeThat’sthequestionbeingaskedinParis2topgovernmentofficialsare3talkingabouttheirdesiretorekindlecloserties4theirneighborsacrosstheRhine.5theendofWorldWarIItheFranco-GermanrelationshiphasbeenthemotorofEuropeanintegrationthe6forcebehindthecreationoftheEuropeanUnionandmorerecentlytheintroductionoftheeuro.Buttheardorhas7inthisdecadeparticularlyunderMerkelwhohasregularlystruggledto8herirritationwithFrenchPresidentNicolasSarkozy’sgrandstanding.Sarkozy9hasoftenbeenimpatientwithwhathe10Merkel’slackofresolve. Thesometimes11personalrapportisalongwayfromthepublicshowsofaffectiontheirpredecessorsstagedparticularlyHelmutKohlandFranCoisMitterrandwhomovinglyheld12in1984inaVerduncemetery.There’sbeentensionon13too.CharlesGrantdirectoroftheLondon-basedthinktankCentreforEuropeanReformpointsoutthatFranceandGermanyhavebeen14onissuesfromhowbesttoreflatetheireconomiesduringtheeconomic15tothesmarteststrategiesfordealingwithRussia. ButinfluentialmoversinFrancearenow16toputtherelationshipbackonafriendlierfooting.InarecentpaperFrenchthinktankInstituteMontaigne17anambitiousagendaforthetwonations18thatanewimpetusisneededifEurope’svoiceistobeheardinaworld19ofbignewplayerssuchasBrazilandIndiaandatatimewhenPresidentObamaseemsfaxmore20withChinaandtherestofAsiathanwithAmerica’straditionalalliesinEurope. 2
Fearseemstobethedominantmoodofthemoment.Hurricanestidalwavesfloodsearthquakesandterrorismthisyearhaveallbroughtwiththemnotonlyappallingscenesofdevastationdeathandsufferingbutalsooutrageatthelackofpreparationstoavoidorcopewiththesedisasters.Noweventhebirdsoftheairareathreatwearetold.ThatmigratingflockvisibleOnthehorizonatsunsetonceaconsolingreminderoftheeternalrhythmsofnaturecouldbecarryingtheviruswhichmightsoonkilltensofmillionsofpeople. Giventhemanyfingerspointedatgovernmentsinthewakeofotherdisastersthisyearitishardlysurprisingthattheyarescramblingtorespondtothethreatposedbyavianinfluenza.AfterconfirmationthisweekthattheHSN1strainofbirdfluwhichhasbeenspreadingquicklyinAsiahadbeendiscoveredinRomaniaandperhapsGreeceEuropeanUnionforeignministersconvenedanemergencymeeting.PresidentGeorgeBushstillsmartingfromatorrentofcriticismofhisgovernment’sclumsyresponsetoHurricaneKatrinahaspromisedtorushoutemergencyplansfordealingwithanoutbreakofpandemicfluwhichhavebeenstalledforyears.CountriesaroundtheworldarehurryingtostockpiletheonlycurrentantiviraldrugTamiflnwhichmightbeeffectiveinsavinglivesinanypandemicorcurbingitsspread.TheWorldHealthOrganisationiscallingforaninternationallycoordinatedeffort.HealthministersfromaroundtheglobeareduetomeetnextweekinCanadatodiscusswhatstepstotake. Isanyofthiseff6rtjustifiedOrarepoliticianssimplyhelpingtofeedpublicpanicandthencoveringthemselvesbypromisingtospendlavishlyagainstathreatwhichmaynevermaterializeandtoreduceariskwhichtheydonotunderstandToaskthesequestionsisnottocounselcomplacencybuttoapplythekindoftestwhichisrequiredinanykindofdisasterplanningnotleastbecausetheworldisaninherentlydangerousplaceanditisimpossibletoplanagainsteverypossibledisaster.Withthemediafullofwarningsofimpendingmassdeathanoverreactionisalltoopossible. AccordingtothetextAmericanemergencyplansforcopingwithanoutbreakofpandemicflu
AllU.S.nuclearweaponsproductionfacilitiesarepresentlycloseddownandifthevariousagreementsareadheredtothosefacilitieswillneverberequiredexceptforonecriticalcapability.Allmodernnuclearweaponsuseuranium铀plutonium钚andtritium氚.Uraniumandplutoniumhaveverylonghalf-livesandthereislargesurplusofthesematerials. Tritiumhoweverhasarelativelyshorthalf-lifeofabout12.6yearssoabout5percentoftheamountonhandmustbereplacedeachyeartomaintainthecurrentinventory.46BecauseofthelargeretirementofnuclearweaponsbytheUnitedStatesincompliancewithearlyagreementsandnationalpolicytritiumfromretiredweaponshasbeenusedtomakeupthatlostthroughnaturaldecay.47Howeverinabout10to15yearsdependingonfuturenegotiationstheUnitedStateswillneedaguaranteedsupplyoftritiumtomaintainitsstockpileatwhateverlevelisagreedon. InanticipationofthisfutureneedtoproducetritiumDefenseOfficeExecutiveispursuingtwotechnologies.Oneusesanuclearreactorthatcouldalsoproduceelectricitywhosesalewouldrecovernotonlythecapitalcostofthereactorbutalsoitsannualoperationalcost.48UnfortunatelythepresentAdministrationhasadefinitebiasagainstnuclearpowersoanalternativemethodisalsobeingpursuedeventhoughitisagreedthatitwillcosttwiceasmuchasareactoranduseasmuchelectricityasareactorwouldproduce.Thistechnologyusesanacceleratortoproducehigh-energyprotonsthatinturnproduceneutrons. Themainargumentfortheacceleratoristhatitproducesnoconventionalnuclearwastes.49Proponentsreadilyadmitthatitwillproduceradioactivematerialsbutwitharelativelyshorthalf-lifecomparedwiththatofwastesfromspentnuclearfuel.Thefactthattheacceleratorwillrequiretheequivalentofanuclearpowerplanttosupplyitselectricityisignored. 50Proponents’alsoneglecttomentionthatabout22percentofallelectricalenergygeneratedintheUnitedStatescomesfromnuclearpowerplantssothat22percentofthepowerusedbytheacceleratorwillgenerateconventionalnuclearwastesinadditiontothosetheacceleratorproduces.ThereisanalternativetoeitherthereactorortheacceleratorwhichissimplytobuytherequiredtritiumfromCanadaorRussia. 46BecauseofthelargeretirementofnuclearweaponsbytheUnitedStatesincompliancewithearlyagreementsandnationalpolicytritiumfromretiredweaponshasbeenusedtomakeupthatlostthroughnaturaldecay.
In1998consumerscouldpurchasevirtuallyanythingovertheInternet.BookscompactdiscsandevenstockswereavailablefromWorldWideWebSitesthatseemedtospringupalmostdaily.Afewyearsearliersomepeoplehadpredictedthatconsumersaccustomedtoshoppinginstoreswouldbereluctanttobuythingsthattheycouldnotseeortouchinperson.Foragrowingnumberoftime-starvedconsumershowevershoppingfromtheirhomecomputerwasprovingtobeaconvenientalternativetodrivingtothestore. Aresearchestimatedthatin1998USconsumerswouldpurchase$7.3billionofgoodsovertheInternetdoublethe1997total.FindingabargainwasgettingeasierowingtotheriseofonlineauctionsandWebsitesthatdidcomparisonshoppingontheInternetforthebestdeal. Foralltheconsumerinterestretailingincyberspacewasstillalargelyunprofitablebusinesshowever.InternetpioneerAmazon.comwhichbegansellingbooksin1995andlaterbranchedintorecordedmusicandvideospostedrevenueof$153.7millioninthethirdquarterupfrom$37.9minioninthesameperiodof1997.Overallhoweverthecompany’slosswidenedto$45.2millionfrom$9.6millionandanalystsdidnotexpectthecompanytoturnaprofituntil2001.DespitethegreatlossAmazon.comhadastockmarketvalueofmanybillionsreflectinginvestors’optimismaboutthefutureoftheindustry. Internetretailingappealedtoinvestorsbecauseitprovidedanefficientmeansforreachingmillionsofconsumerswithouthavingthecostofoperatingconventionalstoreswiththeirarmiesofsalespeople.Sellingonlinecarrieditsownriskshowever.Withsomanycompaniescompetingforconsumers’attentionpricecompetitionwasintenseandprofitmarginsthinornonexistent.OnevideoretailersoldthehitmovieTitanicfor$9.99undercuttingthe$19.99suggestedretailpriceandlosingabout$6oneachcopysold.WithInternetretailingstillinitsinitialstage;companiesseemedwillingtoabsorbsuchlossesinanattempttoestablishadominantmarketposition. ForalltheconsumerinterestParagraph3means
AllU.S.nuclearweaponsproductionfacilitiesarepresentlycloseddownandifthevariousagreementsareadheredtothosefacilitieswillneverberequiredexceptforonecriticalcapability.Allmodernnuclearweaponsuseuranium铀plutonium钚andtritium氚.Uraniumandplutoniumhaveverylonghalf-livesandthereislargesurplusofthesematerials. Tritiumhoweverhasarelativelyshorthalf-lifeofabout12.6yearssoabout5percentoftheamountonhandmustbereplacedeachyeartomaintainthecurrentinventory.46BecauseofthelargeretirementofnuclearweaponsbytheUnitedStatesincompliancewithearlyagreementsandnationalpolicytritiumfromretiredweaponshasbeenusedtomakeupthatlostthroughnaturaldecay.47Howeverinabout10to15yearsdependingonfuturenegotiationstheUnitedStateswillneedaguaranteedsupplyoftritiumtomaintainitsstockpileatwhateverlevelisagreedon. InanticipationofthisfutureneedtoproducetritiumDefenseOfficeExecutiveispursuingtwotechnologies.Oneusesanuclearreactorthatcouldalsoproduceelectricitywhosesalewouldrecovernotonlythecapitalcostofthereactorbutalsoitsannualoperationalcost.48UnfortunatelythepresentAdministrationhasadefinitebiasagainstnuclearpowersoanalternativemethodisalsobeingpursuedeventhoughitisagreedthatitwillcosttwiceasmuchasareactoranduseasmuchelectricityasareactorwouldproduce.Thistechnologyusesanacceleratortoproducehigh-energyprotonsthatinturnproduceneutrons. Themainargumentfortheacceleratoristhatitproducesnoconventionalnuclearwastes.49Proponentsreadilyadmitthatitwillproduceradioactivematerialsbutwitharelativelyshorthalf-lifecomparedwiththatofwastesfromspentnuclearfuel.Thefactthattheacceleratorwillrequiretheequivalentofanuclearpowerplanttosupplyitselectricityisignored. 50Proponents’alsoneglecttomentionthatabout22percentofallelectricalenergygeneratedintheUnitedStatescomesfromnuclearpowerplantssothat22percentofthepowerusedbytheacceleratorwillgenerateconventionalnuclearwastesinadditiontothosetheacceleratorproduces.ThereisanalternativetoeitherthereactorortheacceleratorwhichissimplytobuytherequiredtritiumfromCanadaorRussia. 48UnfortunatelythepresentAdministrationhasadefinitebiasagainstnuclearpowersoanalternativemethodisalsobeingpursuedeventhoughitisagreedthatitwillcosttwiceasmuchasareactoranduseasmuchelectricityasareactorwouldproduce.
Farm-raisedpigsaredirtysmellyanimalsthatgetnorespect.They’realsoanenvironmentalhazard.Theirmanurecontainsphosphoruswhichwhenitrainsrunsoffintolakesandestuariesdepletingoxygenkillingfishstimulatingalgaeovergrowthandemittinggreenhousegases. 41.______.Pigsprovidemoredietaryproteinmorecheaplytomorepeoplethananyotheranimal.NorthernEuropestillmaintainsthehighestpig-to-humanratiointheworld2-1inDen-markbutEastAsiaiscatchingup.Duringthe1990sporkproductiondoubledinVietnamandgrewby70percentinChina—alongdenselypopulatedcoastlinespigdensityexceeds100animalspersquarekilometer.Theresultingpollutionis“threateningfragilecoastalmarinehabitatsincludingmangrovescoralreefsandseagrasses”accordingtoareportreleasedinFebruarybytheFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations. Asitturnsoutthereisasolutiontothepigproblembutitrequiresachangeofmind-setamongenvironmentalistsandthepublic.42.______. TheEnviropigisoneofmanynewtechnologiesthatareputtingenvironmentalistsandorganic-foodproponentsinaquandary:shouldtheyremaincategoricallyopposedtogeneticallymodifiedGMfoodsevenattheexpenseoftheenvironment43.______.ThemostsignificantGMapplicationswillbeonesthathelpalleviatetheproblemofagriculturewhichaccountsfor38percentoftheworld’slandmassandiscrowdingoutnaturalecosystemsandspecieshabitats.GMcropsthatcanbeproducedmoreefficientlywouldallowustoreturnlandtonature. 44.______.U.S.DepartmentofAgriculturescientistEliotHermanhasalreadycreatedaless-allergenicsoybean—animportantcropforbabyfoods.ThroughgeneticsurgeryHermanturnedoffthesoygeneresponsiblefor65percentofallergicreactions.NotonlywasthemodifiedsoylessallergenicintestsbutasHermanexplained“theyieldlooksperfectlynormalplantsdevelopandgrowatanormalrateandtheyseemtohavethesamekindsofproteinoilandothergoodstuffinthem.”Otherscientistshavereportedpromisingresultsinshuttingoffallergy-causinggenesinpeanutsandshrimp.Shouldtheseadvancesbeturnedintoproductsorganicsoyorpeanutproductswillbecertifiablymoredangeroustohumanhealththancomparablenonorganicproducts. 45.______.Inthisclimatemuchoftheneededresearchisn’tbeingpursued.Chancesarefarmerswillcontinuetogrowtheirpollutingorganicporktheirallergenicorganicsoyandtheirneurotoxin-sprayedorganicapples.Worsestilltheywillmakesurethatnooneelsegetsachoiceinthematterofimprovingtheconditionsoflifeonearth—unlessthatisothersriseupanddemandanalternative. [A]TwoCanadianscientistshavecreatedapigwhosemanuredoesn’tcontainverymuchphosphorusatall.Ifthisvarietyofpigwereadoptedwidelyitcouldgreatlyreduceamajorsourceofpollution.ButtheEnviropigastheycallitistheproductofgeneticmodification—whichisanathematomanyWesterners. [B]Infactalthoughallcommonlyusedpesticidesdissipatesoquicklythattheyposeaminisculehealthrisktoconsumersallergicfoodreactionstonaturalproductskillhundredsofchildreneachyear.Geneticallymodifiedfoodscouldgreatlyreducethisrisk. [C]CanadianbiologistsCecilForsbergandJohnPhillipsforinstancehaveconstructedanovelDNAmoleculethatwhenplantedinapigembryoimbuestheEnviropigwiththeabilitytosecreteaphosphorusextractingenzymeinitssaliva.Theresultssofararedramatic—thenewpigscanextractallthephosphorustheyneedfromgrainalonewithoutthephosphorussupplementsthatfarmersnowuse.Thisreducesthephosphoruscontentoftheirmanurebyupto75percent. [D]Doingawaywiththepigisnotanoption. [E]Pigscanalsobemodifiedtodigestgrassesandhayascowsandsheepdoreducingtheenergy-intensiveuseofcornaspigfeed.Elsewheretreesgrownforpapercouldbemadeamenabletomuchmoreefficientprocessingreducingbothenergyusageandtoxicchemicalbleachineffluentsfrompapermills. [F]Ofcoursestringenttestingisneededtoshowthatageneticmodificationworksandthattheproductisnotharmfultohumans.Scientistscandobothofthesethingswithtechniquesthatallowthemtoexamineandcomparethestructureandactivityofeveryoneofananimal’sgenes. [G]Unfortunatelythiswon’thappenanytimesoon.Becausenosocietyhaseverbannedallergenicfoodsconventionalfarmershavenoincentivetoplantreduced-allergyseeds.Andmanymembersofthepublichavebeenledtobelievethatallgeneticmodificationscreatehealthrisks. 44
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 4
HowmanyreallysufferasaresultoflabormarketproblemsThisisoneofthemostcriticalyetcontentioussocialpolicyquestions.Inmanywaysoursocialstatisticsexaggeratethedegreeofhardship.Unemploymentdoesnothavethesamedireconsequencestodayasitdidinthe1930’swhenmostoftheunemployedwereprimarybreadwinnerswhenincomeandearningswereusuallymuchclosertothemarginofsubsistenceandwhentherewerenocountervailingsocialprogramsforthosefailinginthelabormarket. Increasingaffluencetheriseoffamilieswithmorethanonewageearnerthegrowingpredominanceofsecondaryearnersamongtheunemployedandimprovedsocialwelfareprotectionhaveunquestionablymitigatedtheconsequencesofjoblessness.Earningsandincomedataalsooverstatethedimensionsofhardship.Amongthemillionswithhourlyearningsatorbelowtheminimumwageleveltheover-whelmingmajorityarefrommultipleearnersrelativelyaffluentfamilies.Mostofthosecountedbythepovertystatisticsareelderlyorhandicappedorhavefamilyresponsibilitieswhichkeepthemoutofthelaborforcesothepovertystatisticsarebynomeansanaccurateindicatoroflabormarketpathologies. Yettherearealsomanywaysoursocialstatisticsunderestimatethedegreeoflabor-market-relatedhardship.Theunemploymentcountsexcludethemillionsoffullyemployedworkerswhosewagesaresolowthattheirfamiliesremaininpoverty.Lowwagesandrepeatedorprolongedunemploymentfrequentlyinteracttounderminethecapacityforself-support.Sincethenumberexperiencingjoblessnessatsometimeduringtheyearisseveraltimesthenumberunemployedinanymonththosewhosufferasaresultofforcedidlenesscanequalorexceedaverageannualunemploymenteventhoughonlyaminorityofthejoblessinanymonthreallysuffer.Foreverypersoncountedinthemonthlyunemploymenttalliesthereisanotherworkingpart-timebecauseoftheinabilitytofindfulltimeworkorelseoutsidethelaborforcebutwantingajob.Finallyincometransfersinourcountryhavealwaysfocusedontheelderlydisabledanddependentneglectingtheneedsoftheworkingpoorsothatthedramaticexpansionofcashandinkindtransfersdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatthosefailinginthelabormarketareadequatelyprotected. Asaresultofsuchcontradictoryevidenceitisuncertainwhetherthosesufferingseriouslyasaresultofthousandsorthetensofmillionsandhencewhetherhighlevelsofjoblessnesscanbetoleratedormustbecounteredbyjobcreationandeconomicstimulus.Thereisonlyoneareaofagreementinthisdebate—thattheexistingpovertyemploymentandearningsstatisticsareinadequateforoneoftheirprimaryapplicationsmeasuringtheconsequencesoflabormarketproblems. Accordingtothetextonefactorthatcausesunemploymentandearningsfigurestooverpredicttheamountofeconomichardshipisthe
Fearseemstobethedominantmoodofthemoment.Hurricanestidalwavesfloodsearthquakesandterrorismthisyearhaveallbroughtwiththemnotonlyappallingscenesofdevastationdeathandsufferingbutalsooutrageatthelackofpreparationstoavoidorcopewiththesedisasters.Noweventhebirdsoftheairareathreatwearetold.ThatmigratingflockvisibleOnthehorizonatsunsetonceaconsolingreminderoftheeternalrhythmsofnaturecouldbecarryingtheviruswhichmightsoonkilltensofmillionsofpeople. Giventhemanyfingerspointedatgovernmentsinthewakeofotherdisastersthisyearitishardlysurprisingthattheyarescramblingtorespondtothethreatposedbyavianinfluenza.AfterconfirmationthisweekthattheHSN1strainofbirdfluwhichhasbeenspreadingquicklyinAsiahadbeendiscoveredinRomaniaandperhapsGreeceEuropeanUnionforeignministersconvenedanemergencymeeting.PresidentGeorgeBushstillsmartingfromatorrentofcriticismofhisgovernment’sclumsyresponsetoHurricaneKatrinahaspromisedtorushoutemergencyplansfordealingwithanoutbreakofpandemicfluwhichhavebeenstalledforyears.CountriesaroundtheworldarehurryingtostockpiletheonlycurrentantiviraldrugTamiflnwhichmightbeeffectiveinsavinglivesinanypandemicorcurbingitsspread.TheWorldHealthOrganisationiscallingforaninternationallycoordinatedeffort.HealthministersfromaroundtheglobeareduetomeetnextweekinCanadatodiscusswhatstepstotake. Isanyofthiseff6rtjustifiedOrarepoliticianssimplyhelpingtofeedpublicpanicandthencoveringthemselvesbypromisingtospendlavishlyagainstathreatwhichmaynevermaterializeandtoreduceariskwhichtheydonotunderstandToaskthesequestionsisnottocounselcomplacencybuttoapplythekindoftestwhichisrequiredinanykindofdisasterplanningnotleastbecausetheworldisaninherentlydangerousplaceanditisimpossibletoplanagainsteverypossibledisaster.Withthemediafullofwarningsofimpendingmassdeathanoverreactionisalltoopossible. Thephrasenotleastinthelastbutonesentenceofthetextmeans
Farm-raisedpigsaredirtysmellyanimalsthatgetnorespect.They’realsoanenvironmentalhazard.Theirmanurecontainsphosphoruswhichwhenitrainsrunsoffintolakesandestuariesdepletingoxygenkillingfishstimulatingalgaeovergrowthandemittinggreenhousegases. 41.______.Pigsprovidemoredietaryproteinmorecheaplytomorepeoplethananyotheranimal.NorthernEuropestillmaintainsthehighestpig-to-humanratiointheworld2-1inDen-markbutEastAsiaiscatchingup.Duringthe1990sporkproductiondoubledinVietnamandgrewby70percentinChina—alongdenselypopulatedcoastlinespigdensityexceeds100animalspersquarekilometer.Theresultingpollutionis“threateningfragilecoastalmarinehabitatsincludingmangrovescoralreefsandseagrasses”accordingtoareportreleasedinFebruarybytheFoodandAgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations. Asitturnsoutthereisasolutiontothepigproblembutitrequiresachangeofmind-setamongenvironmentalistsandthepublic.42.______. TheEnviropigisoneofmanynewtechnologiesthatareputtingenvironmentalistsandorganic-foodproponentsinaquandary:shouldtheyremaincategoricallyopposedtogeneticallymodifiedGMfoodsevenattheexpenseoftheenvironment43.______.ThemostsignificantGMapplicationswillbeonesthathelpalleviatetheproblemofagriculturewhichaccountsfor38percentoftheworld’slandmassandiscrowdingoutnaturalecosystemsandspecieshabitats.GMcropsthatcanbeproducedmoreefficientlywouldallowustoreturnlandtonature. 44.______.U.S.DepartmentofAgriculturescientistEliotHermanhasalreadycreatedaless-allergenicsoybean—animportantcropforbabyfoods.ThroughgeneticsurgeryHermanturnedoffthesoygeneresponsiblefor65percentofallergicreactions.NotonlywasthemodifiedsoylessallergenicintestsbutasHermanexplained“theyieldlooksperfectlynormalplantsdevelopandgrowatanormalrateandtheyseemtohavethesamekindsofproteinoilandothergoodstuffinthem.”Otherscientistshavereportedpromisingresultsinshuttingoffallergy-causinggenesinpeanutsandshrimp.Shouldtheseadvancesbeturnedintoproductsorganicsoyorpeanutproductswillbecertifiablymoredangeroustohumanhealththancomparablenonorganicproducts. 45.______.Inthisclimatemuchoftheneededresearchisn’tbeingpursued.Chancesarefarmerswillcontinuetogrowtheirpollutingorganicporktheirallergenicorganicsoyandtheirneurotoxin-sprayedorganicapples.Worsestilltheywillmakesurethatnooneelsegetsachoiceinthematterofimprovingtheconditionsoflifeonearth—unlessthatisothersriseupanddemandanalternative. [A]TwoCanadianscientistshavecreatedapigwhosemanuredoesn’tcontainverymuchphosphorusatall.Ifthisvarietyofpigwereadoptedwidelyitcouldgreatlyreduceamajorsourceofpollution.ButtheEnviropigastheycallitistheproductofgeneticmodification—whichisanathematomanyWesterners. [B]Infactalthoughallcommonlyusedpesticidesdissipatesoquicklythattheyposeaminisculehealthrisktoconsumersallergicfoodreactionstonaturalproductskillhundredsofchildreneachyear.Geneticallymodifiedfoodscouldgreatlyreducethisrisk. [C]CanadianbiologistsCecilForsbergandJohnPhillipsforinstancehaveconstructedanovelDNAmoleculethatwhenplantedinapigembryoimbuestheEnviropigwiththeabilitytosecreteaphosphorusextractingenzymeinitssaliva.Theresultssofararedramatic—thenewpigscanextractallthephosphorustheyneedfromgrainalonewithoutthephosphorussupplementsthatfarmersnowuse.Thisreducesthephosphoruscontentoftheirmanurebyupto75percent. [D]Doingawaywiththepigisnotanoption. [E]Pigscanalsobemodifiedtodigestgrassesandhayascowsandsheepdoreducingtheenergy-intensiveuseofcornaspigfeed.Elsewheretreesgrownforpapercouldbemadeamenabletomuchmoreefficientprocessingreducingbothenergyusageandtoxicchemicalbleachineffluentsfrompapermills. [F]Ofcoursestringenttestingisneededtoshowthatageneticmodificationworksandthattheproductisnotharmfultohumans.Scientistscandobothofthesethingswithtechniquesthatallowthemtoexamineandcomparethestructureandactivityofeveryoneofananimal’sgenes. [G]Unfortunatelythiswon’thappenanytimesoon.Becausenosocietyhaseverbannedallergenicfoodsconventionalfarmershavenoincentivetoplantreduced-allergyseeds.Andmanymembersofthepublichavebeenledtobelievethatallgeneticmodificationscreatehealthrisks. 42
Directions: Writeanessayofabout160-200wordsbasedonthefollowingdrawing.Inthisessayyoushould: 1describethepicturebriefly 2interpretthemeaningand 3supportyourviewswithexamples.
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 18
46SurprisinglyenoughmodernhistorianshaverarelyinterestedthemselvesinthehistoryoftheAmericanSouthintheperiodbeforetheSouthbegantobecomeself-consciouslyanddistinctively"Southern"--thedecadesafter1815.ConsequentlytheculturalhistoryofBritain’sNorthAmericanempireintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturieshasbeenwrittenalmostasiftheSoutherncolonieshadneverexisted.TheAmericanculturethatemergedduringtheColonialandRevolutionaryerashasbeendepictedashavingbeensimplyanextensionofNewEnglandPuritanculture.HoweverProfessorDavishasrecentlyarguedthattheSouthstoodapartfromtherestofAmericansocietyduringthisearlyperiodfollowingitsownuniquepatternofculturaldevelopment.47ThecaseforSoutherndistinctivenessrestsupontworelatedpremises:firstthattheculturalsimilaritiesamongthefiveSoutherncolonieswerefarmoreimpressivethanthedifferencesandsecondthatwhatmadethosecoloniesalikealsomadethemdifferentfromtheothercolonies.ThefirstforwhichDavisoffersanenormousamountofevidencecanbeacceptedwithoutmajorreservations;thesecondisfarmoreproblematic. WhatmakesthesecondpremiseproblematicistheuseofthePuritancoloniesasabasisforcomparison.QuiteproperlyDavisdecriestheexcessiveinfluenceascribedbyhistorianstothePuritansintheformationofAmericanculture.YetDavisinadvertentlyaddsweighttosuchascriptionsbyusingthePuritansasthestandardagainstwhichtoassesstheachievementsandcontributionsofSoutherncolonials.48ThroughoutDavisfocusesontheimportantandundeniabledifferencesbetweentheSouthernandNortherncoloniesinmotivesforandpatternsofearlysettlementinattitudestowardnatureandNativeAmericansandinthedegreeofreceptivitytometropolitanculturalinfluences. 49HoweverrecentscholarshiphasstronglysuggestedthatthoseaspectsofearlyNewEnglandculturethatseemtohavebeenmostdistinctlyPuritansuchasthestrongreligiousorientationandthecommunalimpulsewerenoteventypicalofNewEnglandasawholebutwerelargelyconfinedtothetwocoloniesofAmerica.ThuswhatincontrasttothePuritanNortherncoloniesappearstoDavistobepeculiarlySouthern--acquisitivenessastronginterestinpoliticsandthelawandatendencytocultivatemetropolitanculturalmodels--wasnotonlymoretypicallyEnglishthantheculturalpatternsexhibitedbyPuritanMassachusettsandConnecticutbutalsoalmostcertainlycharacteristicofmostotherearlymodernBritishcoloniesfromBarbadosnorthtoRhodeIslandandNewHampshire.50WithinthelargerframeworkofAmericancoloniallifethennottheSouthernbuttheNortherncoloniesappeartohavebeendistinctiveandeventheyseemtohavebeenrapidlyassimilatingtothedominantculturalpatternsbythelastColonialperiod. 50WithinthelargerframeworkofAmericancoloniallifethennottheSouthernbuttheNortherncoloniesappeartohavebeendistinctiveandeventheyseemtohavebeenrapidlyassimilatingtothedominantculturalpatternsbythelastColonialperiod.
In1998consumerscouldpurchasevirtuallyanythingovertheInternet.BookscompactdiscsandevenstockswereavailablefromWorldWideWebSitesthatseemedtospringupalmostdaily.Afewyearsearliersomepeoplehadpredictedthatconsumersaccustomedtoshoppinginstoreswouldbereluctanttobuythingsthattheycouldnotseeortouchinperson.Foragrowingnumberoftime-starvedconsumershowevershoppingfromtheirhomecomputerwasprovingtobeaconvenientalternativetodrivingtothestore. Aresearchestimatedthatin1998USconsumerswouldpurchase$7.3billionofgoodsovertheInternetdoublethe1997total.FindingabargainwasgettingeasierowingtotheriseofonlineauctionsandWebsitesthatdidcomparisonshoppingontheInternetforthebestdeal. Foralltheconsumerinterestretailingincyberspacewasstillalargelyunprofitablebusinesshowever.InternetpioneerAmazon.comwhichbegansellingbooksin1995andlaterbranchedintorecordedmusicandvideospostedrevenueof$153.7millioninthethirdquarterupfrom$37.9minioninthesameperiodof1997.Overallhoweverthecompany’slosswidenedto$45.2millionfrom$9.6millionandanalystsdidnotexpectthecompanytoturnaprofituntil2001.DespitethegreatlossAmazon.comhadastockmarketvalueofmanybillionsreflectinginvestors’optimismaboutthefutureoftheindustry. Internetretailingappealedtoinvestorsbecauseitprovidedanefficientmeansforreachingmillionsofconsumerswithouthavingthecostofoperatingconventionalstoreswiththeirarmiesofsalespeople.Sellingonlinecarrieditsownriskshowever.Withsomanycompaniescompetingforconsumers’attentionpricecompetitionwasintenseandprofitmarginsthinornonexistent.OnevideoretailersoldthehitmovieTitanicfor$9.99undercuttingthe$19.99suggestedretailpriceandlosingabout$6oneachcopysold.WithInternetretailingstillinitsinitialstage;companiesseemedwillingtoabsorbsuchlossesinanattempttoestablishadominantmarketposition. Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothewriter
HowmanyreallysufferasaresultoflabormarketproblemsThisisoneofthemostcriticalyetcontentioussocialpolicyquestions.Inmanywaysoursocialstatisticsexaggeratethedegreeofhardship.Unemploymentdoesnothavethesamedireconsequencestodayasitdidinthe1930’swhenmostoftheunemployedwereprimarybreadwinnerswhenincomeandearningswereusuallymuchclosertothemarginofsubsistenceandwhentherewerenocountervailingsocialprogramsforthosefailinginthelabormarket. Increasingaffluencetheriseoffamilieswithmorethanonewageearnerthegrowingpredominanceofsecondaryearnersamongtheunemployedandimprovedsocialwelfareprotectionhaveunquestionablymitigatedtheconsequencesofjoblessness.Earningsandincomedataalsooverstatethedimensionsofhardship.Amongthemillionswithhourlyearningsatorbelowtheminimumwageleveltheover-whelmingmajorityarefrommultipleearnersrelativelyaffluentfamilies.Mostofthosecountedbythepovertystatisticsareelderlyorhandicappedorhavefamilyresponsibilitieswhichkeepthemoutofthelaborforcesothepovertystatisticsarebynomeansanaccurateindicatoroflabormarketpathologies. Yettherearealsomanywaysoursocialstatisticsunderestimatethedegreeoflabor-market-relatedhardship.Theunemploymentcountsexcludethemillionsoffullyemployedworkerswhosewagesaresolowthattheirfamiliesremaininpoverty.Lowwagesandrepeatedorprolongedunemploymentfrequentlyinteracttounderminethecapacityforself-support.Sincethenumberexperiencingjoblessnessatsometimeduringtheyearisseveraltimesthenumberunemployedinanymonththosewhosufferasaresultofforcedidlenesscanequalorexceedaverageannualunemploymenteventhoughonlyaminorityofthejoblessinanymonthreallysuffer.Foreverypersoncountedinthemonthlyunemploymenttalliesthereisanotherworkingpart-timebecauseoftheinabilitytofindfulltimeworkorelseoutsidethelaborforcebutwantingajob.Finallyincometransfersinourcountryhavealwaysfocusedontheelderlydisabledanddependentneglectingtheneedsoftheworkingpoorsothatthedramaticexpansionofcashandinkindtransfersdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatthosefailinginthelabormarketareadequatelyprotected. Asaresultofsuchcontradictoryevidenceitisuncertainwhetherthosesufferingseriouslyasaresultofthousandsorthetensofmillionsandhencewhetherhighlevelsofjoblessnesscanbetoleratedormustbecounteredbyjobcreationandeconomicstimulus.Thereisonlyoneareaofagreementinthisdebate—thattheexistingpovertyemploymentandearningsstatisticsareinadequateforoneoftheirprimaryapplicationsmeasuringtheconsequencesoflabormarketproblems. Whichofthetollowingdoeslabormarketproblemsinthefirstsenteneereferto
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 2
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 10
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 20
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 14
46SurprisinglyenoughmodernhistorianshaverarelyinterestedthemselvesinthehistoryoftheAmericanSouthintheperiodbeforetheSouthbegantobecomeself-consciouslyanddistinctively"Southern"--thedecadesafter1815.ConsequentlytheculturalhistoryofBritain’sNorthAmericanempireintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturieshasbeenwrittenalmostasiftheSoutherncolonieshadneverexisted.TheAmericanculturethatemergedduringtheColonialandRevolutionaryerashasbeendepictedashavingbeensimplyanextensionofNewEnglandPuritanculture.HoweverProfessorDavishasrecentlyarguedthattheSouthstoodapartfromtherestofAmericansocietyduringthisearlyperiodfollowingitsownuniquepatternofculturaldevelopment.47ThecaseforSoutherndistinctivenessrestsupontworelatedpremises:firstthattheculturalsimilaritiesamongthefiveSoutherncolonieswerefarmoreimpressivethanthedifferencesandsecondthatwhatmadethosecoloniesalikealsomadethemdifferentfromtheothercolonies.ThefirstforwhichDavisoffersanenormousamountofevidencecanbeacceptedwithoutmajorreservations;thesecondisfarmoreproblematic. WhatmakesthesecondpremiseproblematicistheuseofthePuritancoloniesasabasisforcomparison.QuiteproperlyDavisdecriestheexcessiveinfluenceascribedbyhistorianstothePuritansintheformationofAmericanculture.YetDavisinadvertentlyaddsweighttosuchascriptionsbyusingthePuritansasthestandardagainstwhichtoassesstheachievementsandcontributionsofSoutherncolonials.48ThroughoutDavisfocusesontheimportantandundeniabledifferencesbetweentheSouthernandNortherncoloniesinmotivesforandpatternsofearlysettlementinattitudestowardnatureandNativeAmericansandinthedegreeofreceptivitytometropolitanculturalinfluences. 49HoweverrecentscholarshiphasstronglysuggestedthatthoseaspectsofearlyNewEnglandculturethatseemtohavebeenmostdistinctlyPuritansuchasthestrongreligiousorientationandthecommunalimpulsewerenoteventypicalofNewEnglandasawholebutwerelargelyconfinedtothetwocoloniesofAmerica.ThuswhatincontrasttothePuritanNortherncoloniesappearstoDavistobepeculiarlySouthern--acquisitivenessastronginterestinpoliticsandthelawandatendencytocultivatemetropolitanculturalmodels--wasnotonlymoretypicallyEnglishthantheculturalpatternsexhibitedbyPuritanMassachusettsandConnecticutbutalsoalmostcertainlycharacteristicofmostotherearlymodernBritishcoloniesfromBarbadosnorthtoRhodeIslandandNewHampshire.50WithinthelargerframeworkofAmericancoloniallifethennottheSouthernbuttheNortherncoloniesappeartohavebeendistinctiveandeventheyseemtohavebeenrapidlyassimilatingtothedominantculturalpatternsbythelastColonialperiod. 48ThroughoutDavisfocusesontheimportantandundeniabledifferencesbetweentheSouthernandNortherncoloniesinmotivesforandpatternsofearlysettlementinattitudestowardnatureandNativeAmericansandinthedegreeofreceptivitytometropolitanculturalinfluences.
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 8
Directions: Writeanessayofaround200wordsentitled"OnBeingThrift"basedonthefollowingpicture.Youshouldinterpretthepictureanddiscusswhetherbeingthriftshouldbeadvocatedinourpursuitofhappiness.
In1998consumerscouldpurchasevirtuallyanythingovertheInternet.BookscompactdiscsandevenstockswereavailablefromWorldWideWebSitesthatseemedtospringupalmostdaily.Afewyearsearliersomepeoplehadpredictedthatconsumersaccustomedtoshoppinginstoreswouldbereluctanttobuythingsthattheycouldnotseeortouchinperson.Foragrowingnumberoftime-starvedconsumershowevershoppingfromtheirhomecomputerwasprovingtobeaconvenientalternativetodrivingtothestore. Aresearchestimatedthatin1998USconsumerswouldpurchase$7.3billionofgoodsovertheInternetdoublethe1997total.FindingabargainwasgettingeasierowingtotheriseofonlineauctionsandWebsitesthatdidcomparisonshoppingontheInternetforthebestdeal. Foralltheconsumerinterestretailingincyberspacewasstillalargelyunprofitablebusinesshowever.InternetpioneerAmazon.comwhichbegansellingbooksin1995andlaterbranchedintorecordedmusicandvideospostedrevenueof$153.7millioninthethirdquarterupfrom$37.9minioninthesameperiodof1997.Overallhoweverthecompany’slosswidenedto$45.2millionfrom$9.6millionandanalystsdidnotexpectthecompanytoturnaprofituntil2001.DespitethegreatlossAmazon.comhadastockmarketvalueofmanybillionsreflectinginvestors’optimismaboutthefutureoftheindustry. Internetretailingappealedtoinvestorsbecauseitprovidedanefficientmeansforreachingmillionsofconsumerswithouthavingthecostofoperatingconventionalstoreswiththeirarmiesofsalespeople.Sellingonlinecarrieditsownriskshowever.Withsomanycompaniescompetingforconsumers’attentionpricecompetitionwasintenseandprofitmarginsthinornonexistent.OnevideoretailersoldthehitmovieTitanicfor$9.99undercuttingthe$19.99suggestedretailpriceandlosingabout$6oneachcopysold.WithInternetretailingstillinitsinitialstage;companiesseemedwillingtoabsorbsuchlossesinanattempttoestablishadominantmarketposition. InvestorsareinterestedinInternetretailingbecause
HowmanyreallysufferasaresultoflabormarketproblemsThisisoneofthemostcriticalyetcontentioussocialpolicyquestions.Inmanywaysoursocialstatisticsexaggeratethedegreeofhardship.Unemploymentdoesnothavethesamedireconsequencestodayasitdidinthe1930’swhenmostoftheunemployedwereprimarybreadwinnerswhenincomeandearningswereusuallymuchclosertothemarginofsubsistenceandwhentherewerenocountervailingsocialprogramsforthosefailinginthelabormarket. Increasingaffluencetheriseoffamilieswithmorethanonewageearnerthegrowingpredominanceofsecondaryearnersamongtheunemployedandimprovedsocialwelfareprotectionhaveunquestionablymitigatedtheconsequencesofjoblessness.Earningsandincomedataalsooverstatethedimensionsofhardship.Amongthemillionswithhourlyearningsatorbelowtheminimumwageleveltheover-whelmingmajorityarefrommultipleearnersrelativelyaffluentfamilies.Mostofthosecountedbythepovertystatisticsareelderlyorhandicappedorhavefamilyresponsibilitieswhichkeepthemoutofthelaborforcesothepovertystatisticsarebynomeansanaccurateindicatoroflabormarketpathologies. Yettherearealsomanywaysoursocialstatisticsunderestimatethedegreeoflabor-market-relatedhardship.Theunemploymentcountsexcludethemillionsoffullyemployedworkerswhosewagesaresolowthattheirfamiliesremaininpoverty.Lowwagesandrepeatedorprolongedunemploymentfrequentlyinteracttounderminethecapacityforself-support.Sincethenumberexperiencingjoblessnessatsometimeduringtheyearisseveraltimesthenumberunemployedinanymonththosewhosufferasaresultofforcedidlenesscanequalorexceedaverageannualunemploymenteventhoughonlyaminorityofthejoblessinanymonthreallysuffer.Foreverypersoncountedinthemonthlyunemploymenttalliesthereisanotherworkingpart-timebecauseoftheinabilitytofindfulltimeworkorelseoutsidethelaborforcebutwantingajob.Finallyincometransfersinourcountryhavealwaysfocusedontheelderlydisabledanddependentneglectingtheneedsoftheworkingpoorsothatthedramaticexpansionofcashandinkindtransfersdoesnotnecessarilymeanthatthosefailinginthelabormarketareadequatelyprotected. Asaresultofsuchcontradictoryevidenceitisuncertainwhetherthosesufferingseriouslyasaresultofthousandsorthetensofmillionsandhencewhetherhighlevelsofjoblessnesscanbetoleratedormustbecounteredbyjobcreationandeconomicstimulus.Thereisonlyoneareaofagreementinthisdebate—thattheexistingpovertyemploymentandearningsstatisticsareinadequateforoneoftheirprimaryapplicationsmeasuringtheconsequencesoflabormarketproblems. Whichofthefollowingproposalsbestrespondstotheissuesraisedbytheauthor
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 6
ShewasFrench;hewasEnglish;theyhadjustmovedtoLondonfromParis.Whenhefoundoutaboutheraffairshebeggedforareconciliation.Hewasmoreruthless:thesameafternoonhefiledfordivorceinFranceoneofthestingiestjurisdictionsinEuropeforthenon-earningspouseandwhereadulteryaffectsthecourt’sruling.HadshefiledfirstinEnglandherconductwouldhavebeenirrelevantandshewouldhavehadagoodchanceofalargeshareofthemaritalassetsandevenmaintenanceforlife. Internationaldivorceisfullofsuchdramasandanomaliessothenaturalresponseofpolicymakersistotrytomakethingssimplerandmorepredictable.ButthebiggestattemptinrecentyearstodojustthatinaEuropeanagreementcalledRomeⅢhasjustbeenshelved.InsteadseveralEUcountriesarenowpressingaheadwiththeirownharmonisationdeal.Manywonderifitwillworkanybetter. Atissueisthevexedquestionofwhichcountry’slawappliestothebreak-upofamixedmarriage.Thespousesmaylivelong-terminathirdcountryandbetemporarilyworkinginafourth.Theworstwaytosortthatoutiswithexpensivelegalbattlesinmultiplejurisdictions. Themainprincipleatpresentisthatthefirstcourttobeapproachedhearsthecase.Introducedin2001thispracticehasworkedwellinpreventinginternationallegalbattlesbuthasmadecouplesmuchmoretrigger-happybecausethespousewhohesitatesinordertosaveatroubledmarriagemayloseahugeamountofmoney.RomeIIIaimedtoremovetheincentivetogotocourtquickly.InsteadcourtsinanyEUcountrywouldautomaticallyapplythelocallawthathadchieflygovernedthemarriage.ThisapproachisalreadyinforceincountriessuchastheNetherlands.AcouplethatmovedthereandsoughtdivorcehavingspentmostofthemarriageinFrancesaywouldfindaDutchcourtdividingassetsandhandlingchildcustodyaccordingtoFrenchlaw. ThatworksfineamongcontinentalEuropeancountrieswherelegalsystemsbasedonRomanlawleavelittleroleforprecedentorthejudge’sdiscretion.Youcanlookuptherulesonawebsiteandapplythem.ButitisanathemainplacessuchasEnglandwherethesystemfavoursathoroughandoftenexpensiveinvestigationofthedetailsofeachcaseandthenletsjudgesdecideaccordingtopreviouscasesandEnglishlaw.Anothersnagisthatwhatmaysuitmiddle-classexpatriatesinBrusselswhojusthappenedtobethepeopledraftingRomeⅢmaynotsuitforexampleamixedmarriagethathasmainlybeenbasedinacountryperhapsnotevenanEUmemberwith"asharplydifferentdivorcelaw.Swedishpoliticiansdon’tliketheideathattheircourtswouldbeaskedtoenforcemarriagelawsbasedonsayIslamicsharia. ThethreatofvetoesfromSwedenandlike-mindedcountrieshasblockedRomeⅢ.ButagroupofninecountriesledbySpainandFranceisgoingahead.TheyareresortingtoaprovisioninEUrules-neverbeforeinvoked-called"enhancedco-operation"Thissetsaprecedentfora"multi-speed’"Europeinwhichlike-mindedcountriesareallowedtomovetowardsgreaterintegrationratherthanseekinga"big-bang"bindingtreatythatscoopsupthewillingandunwillingalike.Somecountriesworrythatusingenhancedco-operationwillcreateunmanageablelayersofcomplexitywithEUlawreplacedbymultipleadhocagreements. ThereallessonmaybethatRomeIIIwasjusttooambitious.Amoremodestbutusefulgoalwouldbesimplytoclarifythefactorsthatdeterminewhichcourthearsadivorceandthenletthatcourtapplyitsownlaw.DavidHodsonaBritishexpertproposesaninternationaldealthatwouldstartbygivinggreatestweighttoanyprenuptialagreementfollowedbylong-termresidencyandthentakeintoaccountotherfactorssuchasnationality.Thatwouldthenmakeiteasiertoendmarriagesamicablywithmediationandout-of-courtagreementratherthanaracetostartthebeastlybusinessoflitigation. WhatistheultimateproblemwithRomeⅢaccordingtotheauthor
SomeoftheconcernssurroundingTurkey’sapplicationtojointheEuropeanUniontobe1onbytheEU’sCouncilofMinistersonDecember17thareeconomic--inparticularthecountry’srelativepoverty.ItsGDPperheadislessthanathirdoftheaverageforthe15pre-2004membersoftheEU.2itisnotfaroffthatofLatvia--oneofthetennewmemberswhich3onMay1st2004anditismuchthesameas4oftwocountriesBulgariaandRomaniawhichthisweekconcluded5talkswiththeEUthatcouldmakethemfullmembersonJanuary1st2007. 6thecountry’srecenteconomicprogresshasbeenaccordingtoDonaldJohnstonthesecretary-generaloftheOECDstunning.GDPinthesecondquarteroftheyearwas13.4%higherthanayearearliera7ofgrowththatnoEUcountrycomescloseto8.Turkey’s9ratehasjustfallenintosinglefiguresforthefirsttimesince1972andthisweekthecountry10agreementwiththeIMFonanewthree-year$10billioneconomicprogramthatwillhelpTurkey11inflationtowardEuropeanlevelsandenhancetheeconomy’sresilience. Resiliencehasnothistoricallybeenthecountry’seconomicstrongpoint.12throughoutthe1990sgrowthoscillatedlikeanelectrocardiogram13aviolentheartattack.This14hasbeenoneofthemainreasonswhythecountryhasfaileddismallytoattractmuch-neededforeigndirectinvestment.Itsstockofsuchinvestmentislowernowthanitwasinthe1980sandannual15havescarcelyeverreached$1billion. Onedeterrenttoforeigninvestorsisdueto16onJanuary1st2005.OnthatdayTurkeywilltakeawaytherightofvirtuallyeveryoneofitscitizenstocallthemselvesamillionaire.Sixzeroswillberemovedfromthefacevalueofthelira里拉土耳其货币单位;oneunitofthelocal17willhenceforthbeworthwhat1millionarenow--ieabout￡0.530.53欧元.Goodswillhavetobe18inboththenewandoldliraforthewholeoftheyear19foreignbankersand20canbegintolookforwardtoatimeinTurkeywhentheywillnolongerhavetojugglementallywithindeterminatestringsofzeros. 16
ShewasFrench;hewasEnglish;theyhadjustmovedtoLondonfromParis.Whenhefoundoutaboutheraffairshebeggedforareconciliation.Hewasmoreruthless:thesameafternoonhefiledfordivorceinFranceoneofthestingiestjurisdictionsinEuropeforthenon-earningspouseandwhereadulteryaffectsthecourt’sruling.HadshefiledfirstinEnglandherconductwouldhavebeenirrelevantandshewouldhavehadagoodchanceofalargeshareofthemaritalassetsandevenmaintenanceforlife. Internationaldivorceisfullofsuchdramasandanomaliessothenaturalresponseofpolicymakersistotrytomakethingssimplerandmorepredictable.ButthebiggestattemptinrecentyearstodojustthatinaEuropeanagreementcalledRomeⅢhasjustbeenshelved.InsteadseveralEUcountriesarenowpressingaheadwiththeirownharmonisationdeal.Manywonderifitwillworkanybetter. Atissueisthevexedquestionofwhichcountry’slawappliestothebreak-upofamixedmarriage.Thespousesmaylivelong-terminathirdcountryandbetemporarilyworkinginafourth.Theworstwaytosortthatoutiswithexpensivelegalbattlesinmultiplejurisdictions. Themainprincipleatpresentisthatthefirstcourttobeapproachedhearsthecase.Introducedin2001thispracticehasworkedwellinpreventinginternationallegalbattlesbuthasmadecouplesmuchmoretrigger-happybecausethespousewhohesitatesinordertosaveatroubledmarriagemayloseahugeamountofmoney.RomeIIIaimedtoremovetheincentivetogotocourtquickly.InsteadcourtsinanyEUcountrywouldautomaticallyapplythelocallawthathadchieflygovernedthemarriage.ThisapproachisalreadyinforceincountriessuchastheNetherlands.AcouplethatmovedthereandsoughtdivorcehavingspentmostofthemarriageinFrancesaywouldfindaDutchcourtdividingassetsandhandlingchildcustodyaccordingtoFrenchlaw. ThatworksfineamongcontinentalEuropeancountrieswherelegalsystemsbasedonRomanlawleavelittleroleforprecedentorthejudge’sdiscretion.Youcanlookuptherulesonawebsiteandapplythem.ButitisanathemainplacessuchasEnglandwherethesystemfavoursathoroughandoftenexpensiveinvestigationofthedetailsofeachcaseandthenletsjudgesdecideaccordingtopreviouscasesandEnglishlaw.Anothersnagisthatwhatmaysuitmiddle-classexpatriatesinBrusselswhojusthappenedtobethepeopledraftingRomeⅢmaynotsuitforexampleamixedmarriagethathasmainlybeenbasedinacountryperhapsnotevenanEUmemberwith"asharplydifferentdivorcelaw.Swedishpoliticiansdon’tliketheideathattheircourtswouldbeaskedtoenforcemarriagelawsbasedonsayIslamicsharia. ThethreatofvetoesfromSwedenandlike-mindedcountrieshasblockedRomeⅢ.ButagroupofninecountriesledbySpainandFranceisgoingahead.TheyareresortingtoaprovisioninEUrules-neverbeforeinvoked-called"enhancedco-operation"Thissetsaprecedentfora"multi-speed’"Europeinwhichlike-mindedcountriesareallowedtomovetowardsgreaterintegrationratherthanseekinga"big-bang"bindingtreatythatscoopsupthewillingandunwillingalike.Somecountriesworrythatusingenhancedco-operationwillcreateunmanageablelayersofcomplexitywithEUlawreplacedbymultipleadhocagreements. ThereallessonmaybethatRomeIIIwasjusttooambitious.Amoremodestbutusefulgoalwouldbesimplytoclarifythefactorsthatdeterminewhichcourthearsadivorceandthenletthatcourtapplyitsownlaw.DavidHodsonaBritishexpertproposesaninternationaldealthatwouldstartbygivinggreatestweighttoanyprenuptialagreementfollowedbylong-termresidencyandthentakeintoaccountotherfactorssuchasnationality.Thatwouldthenmakeiteasiertoendmarriagesamicablywithmediationandout-of-courtagreementratherthanaracetostartthebeastlybusinessoflitigation. WhichofthefollowingmaypossiblybethereasonforwhyseveralEUcountriesarenowpressingaheadwiththeirownharmonisationdeal
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