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Text 4 The meanings of "science" and "technology" have changed significantly from one generatio...
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PassageFour Coolisawordwithmanymeanings.
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words obtain new meanings from time to time
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阅读理解选择一个最佳答案Coolisawordwithmanymeanings.Itsoldmean
Shelikestousewords________arecleartohim.
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meanings of which
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meanings of whose
Coolisawordwithmanymeanings.Itsoldmeaningisused
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Pleasetellmethemeaningsofthenew.
阅读理解Coolisawordwithmanymeanings.Itsoldmeaningisuse
Mostdictionarieswilltellyouanumberofthingsaboutala
Mostdictionarieswilltellyouanumberofthingsaboutala
Coolisawordwithmanymeanings.Itsoldmeaningisusedtoe
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Mostdictionarieswilltellyouanumberofthingsaboutala
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Text4 YoucouldbenefitfromflippingthroughthepagesofICan’tBelieveYouAskedThatabookbyauthorPhillipMilanothat’ssubtitledANo-Holds-BarredQ&AAboutRaceSexReligionandOtherTerrifyingTopics. ForthepastsevenyearsMilano—whodescribeshimselfas"astraightwhitemiddleclassmarriedguyraisedinanaffluentsuburbofChicago’—asoperatedyforumcomaWebsitethatwascreatedtogetustalking.Throughthepostingofprobingprovocativeandsometimessimplyinanequestionsandtheanswerstheygeneratepeopleareencouragedtohaveano-holds-barredexchangeontopicsacrossracialethnicandculturallines.Moreoftenthannotthequestionsgrowoutofourbiasesandfearsandthestereotypesthatfuelmisunderstandingamongus. AswiththeWebsiteMilanohopeshisbookwillbeasocialandculturalelixir."Thetimeisrightforanew’cultureofcuriosity’tobegintounfoldwithpeoplefinallybreakingdownthelastbarriertoimproveraceandculturalrelations"byactuallytalkingtoeachotherabouttheirdifferencesMilanosaidinane-mailmessagetome.MilanowiselyusedtheInternettosparktheseconversations.Insevenyearsithasgenerated50000postings—manyofthemquestionsthatpeoplefindhardtoaskinaface-to-faceexchangewiththesubjectsoftheirinquiries. ButinhisbookwhichwaspublishedearlierthismonthMilanogivesreadersanopportunitytoreadthequestionsandamixofanswersthatmadeitontohisWebsite."Iamcuriousaboutwhatpeoplewhohavebeenblindfrombirth’see’intheirdreams"a13-yearoldboywantedtoknow."Whydosomanymentallydisabledpeoplehavesuchpoor-lookinghaircutsand’nerdy’clothes"awomanasked."HowdoAfrican-AmericansperceiveGod"awhiteteenagerwantedtoknow."DotheypraytoawhiteGodorablackGod" LikeIsaidthesequestionscangeneratearangeofemotionsandreactions.ButthepointofMilano’sWebsiteandhisbookisnottogetpeoplemadbuttoinformus"aboutthelivesandexperiences"ofothers.Thoughmanyoftheanswersthatpeopleofferedtothequestionsposedinhisbookareconflictingtheseresponsesarebalancedbythecommentsofexpertswhoseresponsestothequeriesalsoappearinthebook. Gettingpeopletoopenlysaywhattheyarethinkingaboutthingsthatgiverisetostereotypesandbigotryhasneverbeeneasy.Mostofussavethoseconversationsforgatheringsofpeoplewholookorthinklikeus. Whatisthemainideaofthispassage
ThegovernmentpanelthatsetsU.S.vaccinepolicyalreadyhasbegundiscussing"universalimmunization’*asawaytoboostvaccinationratesandreduceflu-linkedsicknessanddeathDr.ScottHarperofthefederalCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionsaidatavaccinemeetingthisweek. 41______. Harperacknowledgedthattherecentcrisismomentarilyupstageduniversalimmunizationdiscussionsbutsaiditremainsaviableproposal. 42______. Thevaccinemeetingheldeveryyearseekstosetanagendafortheupcomingfluseason.Participants—manywithafinancialstakeingettingmorepeoplevaccinated—saidtheuniversalvaccinationpushislikelytocomewithinthenextfiveyears. 43______. Alsofluvaccineisalteredeveryyearbecausetherearealwaysdifferentflustrainscirculating.Theunusedvaccineisdiscardedatseason’sendmakingflushotsfinanciallyunappealingformanufacturers. 44______. SanofiPasteur’sPhilipHosbachsaidthecompanyhastwoidleU.S.factories"becausethere’snotthereturnontheinvestment.’Universalvaccinationcouldinthelongtermhelpstabilizesupplyifitincreaseddemandhesaid. 45______. Demandhashistoricallybeenaproblemtoo.Millionsoftheat-riskpatientsroutinelyskipannualshots.Somepeopleworrythevaccineisn’tsafeortheysimplydon’tlikeshotsbutmanyalsounderestimatetheseriousnessofflusaidDr.AnnO’MalleyaresearcherattheCenterforStudyingHealthSystemChange. A."Partofourjobistojustkeepthisissueontheradarscreen"Harpertoldvaccineprovidersdistributorsandmanufacturersatthenationalfluvaccinesummithere. B.SofaronlyonecompanySanofiPasteurislicensedtomakeU.S.fluvaccinefortheupcomingseasonthoughpublichealthofficialshopetwoothersincludingChironwillsoongainapproval. C.Estimatessuggestthatinanaverageyearfluinfectsabout82millionpeoplenationwidehospitalizes200000andkills36000. D.Dr.HerbYoungoftheAmericanAcademyofFamilyPhysicianssaidrecommendingshotsforeveryonecouldeasetheconfusionandthathisgroupismovingtowardsupportingtheidea. E.Thehurdlessomeobserverssayaredaunting.Unstablesupplyisoneofthebiggest.Thisyearthebestcasescenario—havingabout90millionshotsavailable—isn’tevenenoughforthe180millionhigh-riskpeopleadvisedtogetshotsletalonethetotalpopulationof280million. F.Theendofachaoticseasonwheremanypeopleseekingflushotswereturnedawaybecauseofashortagemightseemanoddtimetobroachtheideaofvaccinatingevenmorepeople. G.ButIraLonginianEmeryUniversitybiostatisticianwhospecializesinvaccineanalysissaiduniversalvaccinationwouldbeunworkableunlesssupplyproblemscanberesolved. 43
Text1 Itmighttakeonlythetouchofpeachfuzztomakeanautisticchildhowlinpain.Theodourofthefruitcouldbesooverpoweringthathegags.Forreasonsthatarenotwellunderstoodpeoplewithautismdonotintegratealloftheirsensesinwaysthathelpthemunderstandproperlywhattheyareexperiencing.Bytheageofthreethesignsofautism—infrequenteyecontactover-sensitivityorover—sensitivitytotheenvironmentdifficultymixingwithothers—areinfullforce.Thereisnocure;intensebehaviouraltherapiesserveonlytolessenthesymptoms. Theoriginsofautismareobscure.ButapaperinBrainaspecialistjournalcastssomelight.AteamheadedbyMarcelJustofCarnegieMellonUniversityandNancyMinshewoftheUniversityofPittsburghhasfoundevidenceofhowthebrainsofpeoplewithautismfunctiondifferentlyfromthosewithoutthedisorder. Usingabrain-scanningtechniquecalledfunctionalmagnetic-resonanceimagingFMRIDr.JustDr.Minshewandtheirteamcomparedthebrainactivityofyoungadultswhohad"high-functioning"autisminwhichanautiat’sIQscoreisnormalwiththatofnon-autisticparticipants.Theexperimentwasdesignedtoexaminetworegionsofthebrainknowntobeassociatedwithlanguage—Broca’sareaandWernicke’sarea—whentheparticipantswerereading. Threedifferencesemerged.FirstWernicke’sareathepartresponsibleforunderstandingindividualwordswasmoreactiveinautiststhannon-autists.SecondBroca’sarea—wherethecomponentsoflanguageareintegratedtoproducemeaning—waslessactive.Thirdtheactivityofthetwoareaswaslesssynchronised. ThisresearchhasledDr.Justtoofferanexplanationforautism.Hecallsit"underconnectivitytheory".Itdependsonhrecentbodyofworkwhichsuggeststhatthebrain’swhitematterthewiringthatconnectsthemainbodiesofthenervecellsorgreymattertogetherislessdenseandlessabundantinthebrainofanautisticpersonthaninthatofanon-autist.Dr.Justsuggeststhatabnormalwhitemattercausesthegreymattertoadapttotheresultinglackofcommunication.Thishonessomeregionstolevelsofsuperiorabilitywhileothersfallbythewayside. TheteamchosetoexamineBroca’sandWernicke’sareasbecauselanguage-basedexperimentsareeasytoconduct.Butiftheunderconnectivitytheoryappliestotherestofthebraintooitwouldbelessofamysterywhysomepeoplewithautismarehypersensitivetotheirenvironmentsandothersareabletodocertaintaskssuchasarithmeticsowell.Andifitistruethatunderconnectivityisindeedthemainproblemthentreatmentsmightbedevelopedtostimulatethegrowthofthewhite-matterwiring. Theunderconnectivitytheoryattributesautismto
Text4 InapaperjustpublishedinSciencePeterGordonofColumbiaUniversityuseshisstudyofthe Pirahaandtheircountingsystemtotrytoansweratrickylinguisticquestion.ThePirahaagroupofhunter-gathererswholivealongthebanksoftheMaiciRiverinBraziluseasystemofcountingcalled"one-two-many".Inthisthewordfor"one"translatesto"roughlyone"similarto"oneortwo"inEnglishthewordfor"two"means"aslightlylargeramountthanone"similarto"afew"inEnglishandthewordfor"many"means"amuchlargeramount". ThisquestionwasposedbyBenjaminLeeWhorlinthe1930s.WhorlstudiedHopianAmerindianlanguageverydifferentfromtheEurasianlanguagesthathadhithertobeenthesubjectofacademiclinguistics.Hisworkledhimtosuggestthatlanguagenotonlyinfluencesthoughtbutmorestronglythatitdeterminesthought. Whilethereisnodisputethatlanguageinfluenceswhatpeoplethinkaboutevidencesuggestingitdeterminesthoughtisinconclusive.Forexamplein1972EleanorRoschandKarlHeiderinvestigatedthecolour-namingabilitiesoftheDanipeopleofIndonesia.TheDanihavewordsforonlytwocolours:blackandwhite.ButDr.RoschandDr.HeiderfoundthatevensoDanicoulddistinguishandcomprehendothercolours.ThatdoesnotsupportthedeterministicversionoftheWhorfhypothesis. WhilerecognisingthattherearesuchthingsascoloursforwhichyouhavenonameiscertainlyacognitiveleapitmaynotbeagoodtestofWhorf’sideas.Coloursafterallareoutthereeverywhere.Numbersbycontrastareabstractsomaybeabettertest.Dr.Gordonthere[orespentamonthwiththePirahaandelicitedthehelpofsevenofthemtoseehowfartheirgraspofnumbersextended. Thetestsbegansimplywitharowofsaysevenevenlyspacedbatteries.Graduallytheygotmorecomplicated.Themorecomplicatedtestsincludedtaskssuchasmatchingnumbersofunevenlyspacedobjectsreplicatingthenumberofobjectsfrommemoryandcopyinganumberofstraightlinesfromadrawing. Intheteststhatinvolvedmatchingthenumberandlayoutofobjectstheycouldseeparticipantswereprettygoodwhenfacedwithtwoorthreeitemsbutfoundithardertocopeasthenumberofitemsrose.Thingswereworsewhentheparticipantshadtorememberthenumberofobjectsinalayoutandreplicateit"blind"ratherthanmatchingalayouttheycould see.Inthiscasethesuccessratedroppedtozerowhenthenumberofitemsbecameintermsoftheirlanguage"many". Andlinedrawingproducedtheworstresultsofall—thoughthatcouldhavehadasmuchtodowiththefactthatdrawingisnotpartofPicahacultureasitdidwiththedifficultiesofnumericalabstraction.IndeedDr.Gordondescribedthetaskofreproducingstraightlinesasbeingaccomplishedonlywith"heavysighsandgroans". TheperformancesinrelationtoWhorf'sclaimoftheDaniandthePirahaare
Text3 The"MyDoom"viruscouldpresageagenerationofcomputerattacksbyorganisedgangsaimingtoextractransomsfromonlinebusinessesexpertssaidyesterday. ThewarningcameasthewebsiterunbySCOacompanythatsellsUnixcomputersoftwareineffectdisappearedfromthewebunderablizzardofautomatedattacksfromPCsinfectedbytheviruswhichfirstappearedaweekago. The"myDoom-A"versionofthevirusisreckonedtobetheworsttohavehittheinternetintermsofthespeedofitsspreadwithmillionsofPCsworldwidebelievedtobeinfected.Such"zombie"machinesbegintosendouthundredsofcopiesoftheviruseveryhour toalmostanye-mailaddressintheirfiles. OnSundaytheybegansendingautomatedqueriestoSCO’swebsiteanattackthatwillcontinueuntil12February.Theattackisthewebequivalentofringingthecompany’sdoorbellandrunningawayamilliontimesasecondleavingitscomputersunabletodealwithstandardrequeststoviewitspages. "Youhavetowonderaboutthetimelimit"saidGrahamCluleyseniortechnologyconsultantattheantiviruscompanySophos."SomeonecouldgotoSCOafterthe12thandsay’Ifyoudon’twantthistohappenagainhereareourdemands’."RaimundGenesEuropeanpresidentofthesecuritysoftwarefirmTrendMicrosaid:"Suchaprogrammecouldtakeoutanymajorwebsiteontheinternet.It’snotterrorismbutitissomebodywhoisobviouslyupsetwithSCO." SCOhasearnedtheenmityofcomputerusersthroughalawsuitithasfiledagainstIBM.SCOclaimsownershipofcomputercodeitsaysIBMputintothefreeoperatingsystemLinuxandisdemandinglicencefeesanddamagesof$1bn. Mr.Cluleysaid:"ItmightbethatwhoeverisbehindthiswillsaytoSCO’ifyoudon’twantthenextonetotargetyoudropthelawsuit’.’SCOhasoffered$250000~{~140000forinformationleadingtothearrestofthepersonorpeoplewhowroteanddistributedMyDoom. NellBarrettofthesecuritycompanyInformationRiskManagementsaid"Iwouldgivealotofcredencetotheideaofgangsusingvirusestoextortmoney.It’shardforlawenforcementtotrackthemdownbecausethey’reusingmachinesownedbyinnocentpeople.’ AsecondvariantofMyDoomwillstartattackingpartofMicrosoft’swebsitelatertoday.TheantiviruscompanyMessageLabssaidithadblockedmorethan16millioncopiesofthevirusintransitoverthenetsofar.Butmillionsmorewillhavereachedtheirtargets. WhatdoesthewordtheyParA．4referto
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.9
ThegovernmentpanelthatsetsU.S.vaccinepolicyalreadyhasbegundiscussing"universalimmunization’*asawaytoboostvaccinationratesandreduceflu-linkedsicknessanddeathDr.ScottHarperofthefederalCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionsaidatavaccinemeetingthisweek. 41______. Harperacknowledgedthattherecentcrisismomentarilyupstageduniversalimmunizationdiscussionsbutsaiditremainsaviableproposal. 42______. Thevaccinemeetingheldeveryyearseekstosetanagendafortheupcomingfluseason.Participants—manywithafinancialstakeingettingmorepeoplevaccinated—saidtheuniversalvaccinationpushislikelytocomewithinthenextfiveyears. 43______. Alsofluvaccineisalteredeveryyearbecausetherearealwaysdifferentflustrainscirculating.Theunusedvaccineisdiscardedatseason’sendmakingflushotsfinanciallyunappealingformanufacturers. 44______. SanofiPasteur’sPhilipHosbachsaidthecompanyhastwoidleU.S.factories"becausethere’snotthereturnontheinvestment.’Universalvaccinationcouldinthelongtermhelpstabilizesupplyifitincreaseddemandhesaid. 45______. Demandhashistoricallybeenaproblemtoo.Millionsoftheat-riskpatientsroutinelyskipannualshots.Somepeopleworrythevaccineisn’tsafeortheysimplydon’tlikeshotsbutmanyalsounderestimatetheseriousnessofflusaidDr.AnnO’MalleyaresearcherattheCenterforStudyingHealthSystemChange. A."Partofourjobistojustkeepthisissueontheradarscreen"Harpertoldvaccineprovidersdistributorsandmanufacturersatthenationalfluvaccinesummithere. B.SofaronlyonecompanySanofiPasteurislicensedtomakeU.S.fluvaccinefortheupcomingseasonthoughpublichealthofficialshopetwoothersincludingChironwillsoongainapproval. C.Estimatessuggestthatinanaverageyearfluinfectsabout82millionpeoplenationwidehospitalizes200000andkills36000. D.Dr.HerbYoungoftheAmericanAcademyofFamilyPhysicianssaidrecommendingshotsforeveryonecouldeasetheconfusionandthathisgroupismovingtowardsupportingtheidea. E.Thehurdlessomeobserverssayaredaunting.Unstablesupplyisoneofthebiggest.Thisyearthebestcasescenario—havingabout90millionshotsavailable—isn’tevenenoughforthe180millionhigh-riskpeopleadvisedtogetshotsletalonethetotalpopulationof280million. F.Theendofachaoticseasonwheremanypeopleseekingflushotswereturnedawaybecauseofashortagemightseemanoddtimetobroachtheideaofvaccinatingevenmorepeople. G.ButIraLonginianEmeryUniversitybiostatisticianwhospecializesinvaccineanalysissaiduniversalvaccinationwouldbeunworkableunlesssupplyproblemscanberesolved. 41
Directions: SupposeyouareZhangYing.WritealettertoXiaoWangaschoolmateofyourswhoisgoingtovisityouduringtheweek’slongholiday.Youshouldwriteatleast100wordsaccordingtothesuggestionsgivenbelow. 1Expressyourwelcome. 2Givesomesuggestionsontheholiday. Youshouldwriteabout100wordsonANSWERSHEET2.Youdonotneedtowritetheaddress.
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.1
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.3
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.13
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.11
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.5
ThegovernmentpanelthatsetsU.S.vaccinepolicyalreadyhasbegundiscussing"universalimmunization’*asawaytoboostvaccinationratesandreduceflu-linkedsicknessanddeathDr.ScottHarperofthefederalCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventionsaidatavaccinemeetingthisweek. 41______. Harperacknowledgedthattherecentcrisismomentarilyupstageduniversalimmunizationdiscussionsbutsaiditremainsaviableproposal. 42______. Thevaccinemeetingheldeveryyearseekstosetanagendafortheupcomingfluseason.Participants—manywithafinancialstakeingettingmorepeoplevaccinated—saidtheuniversalvaccinationpushislikelytocomewithinthenextfiveyears. 43______. Alsofluvaccineisalteredeveryyearbecausetherearealwaysdifferentflustrainscirculating.Theunusedvaccineisdiscardedatseason’sendmakingflushotsfinanciallyunappealingformanufacturers. 44______. SanofiPasteur’sPhilipHosbachsaidthecompanyhastwoidleU.S.factories"becausethere’snotthereturnontheinvestment.’Universalvaccinationcouldinthelongtermhelpstabilizesupplyifitincreaseddemandhesaid. 45______. Demandhashistoricallybeenaproblemtoo.Millionsoftheat-riskpatientsroutinelyskipannualshots.Somepeopleworrythevaccineisn’tsafeortheysimplydon’tlikeshotsbutmanyalsounderestimatetheseriousnessofflusaidDr.AnnO’MalleyaresearcherattheCenterforStudyingHealthSystemChange. A."Partofourjobistojustkeepthisissueontheradarscreen"Harpertoldvaccineprovidersdistributorsandmanufacturersatthenationalfluvaccinesummithere. B.SofaronlyonecompanySanofiPasteurislicensedtomakeU.S.fluvaccinefortheupcomingseasonthoughpublichealthofficialshopetwoothersincludingChironwillsoongainapproval. C.Estimatessuggestthatinanaverageyearfluinfectsabout82millionpeoplenationwidehospitalizes200000andkills36000. D.Dr.HerbYoungoftheAmericanAcademyofFamilyPhysicianssaidrecommendingshotsforeveryonecouldeasetheconfusionandthathisgroupismovingtowardsupportingtheidea. E.Thehurdlessomeobserverssayaredaunting.Unstablesupplyisoneofthebiggest.Thisyearthebestcasescenario—havingabout90millionshotsavailable—isn’tevenenoughforthe180millionhigh-riskpeopleadvisedtogetshotsletalonethetotalpopulationof280million. F.Theendofachaoticseasonwheremanypeopleseekingflushotswereturnedawaybecauseofashortagemightseemanoddtimetobroachtheideaofvaccinatingevenmorepeople. G.ButIraLonginianEmeryUniversitybiostatisticianwhospecializesinvaccineanalysissaiduniversalvaccinationwouldbeunworkableunlesssupplyproblemscanberesolved. 45
Text3 The"MyDoom"viruscouldpresageagenerationofcomputerattacksbyorganisedgangsaimingtoextractransomsfromonlinebusinessesexpertssaidyesterday. ThewarningcameasthewebsiterunbySCOacompanythatsellsUnixcomputersoftwareineffectdisappearedfromthewebunderablizzardofautomatedattacksfromPCsinfectedbytheviruswhichfirstappearedaweekago. The"myDoom-A"versionofthevirusisreckonedtobetheworsttohavehittheinternetintermsofthespeedofitsspreadwithmillionsofPCsworldwidebelievedtobeinfected.Such"zombie"machinesbegintosendouthundredsofcopiesoftheviruseveryhour toalmostanye-mailaddressintheirfiles. OnSundaytheybegansendingautomatedqueriestoSCO’swebsiteanattackthatwillcontinueuntil12February.Theattackisthewebequivalentofringingthecompany’sdoorbellandrunningawayamilliontimesasecondleavingitscomputersunabletodealwithstandardrequeststoviewitspages. "Youhavetowonderaboutthetimelimit"saidGrahamCluleyseniortechnologyconsultantattheantiviruscompanySophos."SomeonecouldgotoSCOafterthe12thandsay’Ifyoudon’twantthistohappenagainhereareourdemands’."RaimundGenesEuropeanpresidentofthesecuritysoftwarefirmTrendMicrosaid:"Suchaprogrammecouldtakeoutanymajorwebsiteontheinternet.It’snotterrorismbutitissomebodywhoisobviouslyupsetwithSCO." SCOhasearnedtheenmityofcomputerusersthroughalawsuitithasfiledagainstIBM.SCOclaimsownershipofcomputercodeitsaysIBMputintothefreeoperatingsystemLinuxandisdemandinglicencefeesanddamagesof$1bn. Mr.Cluleysaid:"ItmightbethatwhoeverisbehindthiswillsaytoSCO’ifyoudon’twantthenextonetotargetyoudropthelawsuit’.’SCOhasoffered$250000~{~140000forinformationleadingtothearrestofthepersonorpeoplewhowroteanddistributedMyDoom. NellBarrettofthesecuritycompanyInformationRiskManagementsaid"Iwouldgivealotofcredencetotheideaofgangsusingvirusestoextortmoney.It’shardforlawenforcementtotrackthemdownbecausethey’reusingmachinesownedbyinnocentpeople.’ AsecondvariantofMyDoomwillstartattackingpartofMicrosoft’swebsitelatertoday.TheantiviruscompanyMessageLabssaidithadblockedmorethan16millioncopiesofthevirusintransitoverthenetsofar.Butmillionsmorewillhavereachedtheirtargets. Theonsetofanewgenerationofcomputerattackswasmarkedby
Text3 The"MyDoom"viruscouldpresageagenerationofcomputerattacksbyorganisedgangsaimingtoextractransomsfromonlinebusinessesexpertssaidyesterday. ThewarningcameasthewebsiterunbySCOacompanythatsellsUnixcomputersoftwareineffectdisappearedfromthewebunderablizzardofautomatedattacksfromPCsinfectedbytheviruswhichfirstappearedaweekago. The"myDoom-A"versionofthevirusisreckonedtobetheworsttohavehittheinternetintermsofthespeedofitsspreadwithmillionsofPCsworldwidebelievedtobeinfected.Such"zombie"machinesbegintosendouthundredsofcopiesoftheviruseveryhour toalmostanye-mailaddressintheirfiles. OnSundaytheybegansendingautomatedqueriestoSCO’swebsiteanattackthatwillcontinueuntil12February.Theattackisthewebequivalentofringingthecompany’sdoorbellandrunningawayamilliontimesasecondleavingitscomputersunabletodealwithstandardrequeststoviewitspages. "Youhavetowonderaboutthetimelimit"saidGrahamCluleyseniortechnologyconsultantattheantiviruscompanySophos."SomeonecouldgotoSCOafterthe12thandsay’Ifyoudon’twantthistohappenagainhereareourdemands’."RaimundGenesEuropeanpresidentofthesecuritysoftwarefirmTrendMicrosaid:"Suchaprogrammecouldtakeoutanymajorwebsiteontheinternet.It’snotterrorismbutitissomebodywhoisobviouslyupsetwithSCO." SCOhasearnedtheenmityofcomputerusersthroughalawsuitithasfiledagainstIBM.SCOclaimsownershipofcomputercodeitsaysIBMputintothefreeoperatingsystemLinuxandisdemandinglicencefeesanddamagesof$1bn. Mr.Cluleysaid:"ItmightbethatwhoeverisbehindthiswillsaytoSCO’ifyoudon’twantthenextonetotargetyoudropthelawsuit’.’SCOhasoffered$250000~{~140000forinformationleadingtothearrestofthepersonorpeoplewhowroteanddistributedMyDoom. NellBarrettofthesecuritycompanyInformationRiskManagementsaid"Iwouldgivealotofcredencetotheideaofgangsusingvirusestoextortmoney.It’shardforlawenforcementtotrackthemdownbecausethey’reusingmachinesownedbyinnocentpeople.’ AsecondvariantofMyDoomwillstartattackingpartofMicrosoft’swebsitelatertoday.TheantiviruscompanyMessageLabssaidithadblockedmorethan16millioncopiesofthevirusintransitoverthenetsofar.Butmillionsmorewillhavereachedtheirtargets. Itcanbeinferredfromthetextthatthepurposeoftheattackcouldbe
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.7
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.17
AnyonepayingattentiontothedebateoverSocialSecurityhasheardalitanyofdates.There’s2018whentheprogramisexpectedtostarttakinginlessintaxesthanitpaysoutinbenefits.Andthere’s2042or2052bysomeestimateswhenitstrustfundissupposedtorunoutofmoney. 41______. ForyearsthegovernmenthascollectedmoreinSocialSecuritytaxesthanitneededtopaycurrentbenefits.ThoseexcesscollectionsarecreditedtotheSocialSecurityTrustFundostensiblytopayfutureretirees.Butthereisnoactualmoneyinthefund.InsteadthegovernmentspendsthemoneyforotherpurposesandissuesthefundIOUs. In2009theshellgamebeginstoend.TheamountbywhichSocialSecuritytaxesexceedbenefitsstartstoshrink.42______. Theproblemcouldhavebeenavoidedanditstillcouldbereduced. Iftherestofthebudgetwasingoodshape—andparticularlyifthegovernmenthadstayedonthepathitwasonfiveyearsagoofbuyingdownthenationaldebt—lawmakerscouldsimplyre-borrowthemoneytopaybenefitsTheycouldhavealeisurelydebateoverwhatifanythingelsetodo. 43______. Thisraisesaquestion:IfthebiggestimmediateproblemofSocialSecurityisthatitwillsoonmakethedeficitworsewouldn’titbebettertoaddresstheunderlyingdeficitInotherwords—astheBushadministrationembarksona60-day60-stoptourtopromoteSocialSecurityoverhaul—arewereallydebatingtherightproblem 44______. ThemoneythatbasbeenborrowedorisprojectedtobeborrowedinPresidentBush’stwotermsalonewouldcomeclosetosolvingSocialSecurity’ssolvencyproblemsforatleastthenext7’5years.TheOfficeofManagementandBudgetprojectscumulativeborrowingof$2.6trillion.TheSocialSecurityAdministrationestimatesthat$3.7trillionwouldshoreuptheprogramuntilatleast2080. 45______.ExplodingMedicareandMedicaidcoststhelossofrevenuebecauseoftherecenttaxcutsandlikelychangesinthealternativeminimumtaxAMTpresentableakoutlookoverthenext10years.MakingtheBushtaxcutspermanentandfixingtheAMTcouldleadtodeficitsofabout$650billionto$750billionbythemiddleofthenextdecade. A.By2018—soonerifprivateaccountsarecreated—theflowreverses.InsteadofspendingasurplusthegovernmentwillneedtobeginpayingoffitsIOUs.Absentlargetaxhikesorspendingcutsalreadyastronomicaldeficitswillskyrocket. B.ThebottomlineisthatWashingtonthroughprofligateborrowingandpoliciesthatlockinredinkforyearstocomeispassingtheburdentofuturegenerations.Andtheproblemisgettingworse. C.Butthemostimportantdatewillarrivesooner—in2009.That’swhenthecostofpayingbenefitstothefirstwaveofretiringbabyboomerswillbeginexposingtheaccountinggimmickrythatisthetruedriveroftheSocialSecurity"crisis.’TotheextentacrisisexistsitisnotreallyaboutSocialSecurity.Itisaboutdecadesofirresponsiblebudgetingthatthreatensfutureretirees. D.Asbadasthecurrentrecorddeficitslook$427billionthisyearalonetheylikelywillgetworseinthenextdecadeastheresultoffiscaltimebombshard-wiredintogovernmentspendingandtaxplans. E.LeftuncheckedchronicdeficitswillmorethanoffsetanygoodthatcomesoutofSocialSecurityreform.Deficitsmakethegovernmentmorebeholdentoitscreditorsmanyofthemforeign.Asthenationaldebtsurgessodoestheportionofthebudgetdedicatedtopayinginterestonthatdebt. F.Butthatisnotanoptiongiventhedirebudgetarysituation.SocialSecuritywillsoonbecomeadrainonagovernmentalreadyundertremendousfiscalstress.It’sthedifferencebetweenhavingazerobalanceonyourcreditcardandbeingatyourcreditlimit.Ifyou’remaxedoutyoulosetheflexibilitytotakeonnewdebttodealwithanexpense. G.ThisisnottosaySocialSecurityreform—withorwithouttheprivateaccountsproposedbyBush—isnotworthwhile.Butitisonlyoneofmanynecessarystepstoputthenationonasoundfiscalfootingandensurethatfuturegenerationswillhaveareasonablycomfortableretirement. 41
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.15
Text1 Itmighttakeonlythetouchofpeachfuzztomakeanautisticchildhowlinpain.Theodourofthefruitcouldbesooverpoweringthathegags.Forreasonsthatarenotwellunderstoodpeoplewithautismdonotintegratealloftheirsensesinwaysthathelpthemunderstandproperlywhattheyareexperiencing.Bytheageofthreethesignsofautism—infrequenteyecontactover-sensitivityorover—sensitivitytotheenvironmentdifficultymixingwithothers—areinfullforce.Thereisnocure;intensebehaviouraltherapiesserveonlytolessenthesymptoms. Theoriginsofautismareobscure.ButapaperinBrainaspecialistjournalcastssomelight.AteamheadedbyMarcelJustofCarnegieMellonUniversityandNancyMinshewoftheUniversityofPittsburghhasfoundevidenceofhowthebrainsofpeoplewithautismfunctiondifferentlyfromthosewithoutthedisorder. Usingabrain-scanningtechniquecalledfunctionalmagnetic-resonanceimagingFMRIDr.JustDr.Minshewandtheirteamcomparedthebrainactivityofyoungadultswhohad"high-functioning"autisminwhichanautiat’sIQscoreisnormalwiththatofnon-autisticparticipants.Theexperimentwasdesignedtoexaminetworegionsofthebrainknowntobeassociatedwithlanguage—Broca’sareaandWernicke’sarea—whentheparticipantswerereading. Threedifferencesemerged.FirstWernicke’sareathepartresponsibleforunderstandingindividualwordswasmoreactiveinautiststhannon-autists.SecondBroca’sarea—wherethecomponentsoflanguageareintegratedtoproducemeaning—waslessactive.Thirdtheactivityofthetwoareaswaslesssynchronised. ThisresearchhasledDr.Justtoofferanexplanationforautism.Hecallsit"underconnectivitytheory".Itdependsonhrecentbodyofworkwhichsuggeststhatthebrain’swhitematterthewiringthatconnectsthemainbodiesofthenervecellsorgreymattertogetherislessdenseandlessabundantinthebrainofanautisticpersonthaninthatofanon-autist.Dr.Justsuggeststhatabnormalwhitemattercausesthegreymattertoadapttotheresultinglackofcommunication.Thishonessomeregionstolevelsofsuperiorabilitywhileothersfallbythewayside. TheteamchosetoexamineBroca’sandWernicke’sareasbecauselanguage-basedexperimentsareeasytoconduct.Butiftheunderconnectivitytheoryappliestotherestofthebraintooitwouldbelessofamysterywhysomepeoplewithautismarehypersensitivetotheirenvironmentsandothersareabletodocertaintaskssuchasarithmeticsowell.Andifitistruethatunderconnectivityisindeedthemainproblemthentreatmentsmightbedevelopedtostimulatethegrowthofthewhite-matterwiring. Theauthor'sattitudetowardsDr.JustandDr.Minshew'sworkcanbedescribedas
Text4 YoucouldbenefitfromflippingthroughthepagesofICan’tBelieveYouAskedThatabookbyauthorPhillipMilanothat’ssubtitledANo-Holds-BarredQ&AAboutRaceSexReligionandOtherTerrifyingTopics. ForthepastsevenyearsMilano—whodescribeshimselfas"astraightwhitemiddleclassmarriedguyraisedinanaffluentsuburbofChicago’—asoperatedyforumcomaWebsitethatwascreatedtogetustalking.Throughthepostingofprobingprovocativeandsometimessimplyinanequestionsandtheanswerstheygeneratepeopleareencouragedtohaveano-holds-barredexchangeontopicsacrossracialethnicandculturallines.Moreoftenthannotthequestionsgrowoutofourbiasesandfearsandthestereotypesthatfuelmisunderstandingamongus. AswiththeWebsiteMilanohopeshisbookwillbeasocialandculturalelixir."Thetimeisrightforanew’cultureofcuriosity’tobegintounfoldwithpeoplefinallybreakingdownthelastbarriertoimproveraceandculturalrelations"byactuallytalkingtoeachotherabouttheirdifferencesMilanosaidinane-mailmessagetome.MilanowiselyusedtheInternettosparktheseconversations.Insevenyearsithasgenerated50000postings—manyofthemquestionsthatpeoplefindhardtoaskinaface-to-faceexchangewiththesubjectsoftheirinquiries. ButinhisbookwhichwaspublishedearlierthismonthMilanogivesreadersanopportunitytoreadthequestionsandamixofanswersthatmadeitontohisWebsite."Iamcuriousaboutwhatpeoplewhohavebeenblindfrombirth’see’intheirdreams"a13-yearoldboywantedtoknow."Whydosomanymentallydisabledpeoplehavesuchpoor-lookinghaircutsand’nerdy’clothes"awomanasked."HowdoAfrican-AmericansperceiveGod"awhiteteenagerwantedtoknow."DotheypraytoawhiteGodorablackGod" LikeIsaidthesequestionscangeneratearangeofemotionsandreactions.ButthepointofMilano’sWebsiteandhisbookisnottogetpeoplemadbuttoinformus"aboutthelivesandexperiences"ofothers.Thoughmanyoftheanswersthatpeopleofferedtothequestionsposedinhisbookareconflictingtheseresponsesarebalancedbythecommentsofexpertswhoseresponsestothequeriesalsoappearinthebook. Gettingpeopletoopenlysaywhattheyarethinkingaboutthingsthatgiverisetostereotypesandbigotryhasneverbeeneasy.Mostofussavethoseconversationsforgatheringsofpeoplewholookorthinklikeus. Thepurposeofthewebsiteisto
Thesedayshousepricevertigoismorethanalocalornationalcondition.It’saworldwidephenomenon. 46TheAmericanhousingboominrecentyearsisnothingcomparedwiththepricerun-upincountrieslikeFranceSpainBritainIrelandSwedenandAustraliaeventhoughmarketsinAustraliaandBritainhavecooledinthelastyear. Million-dollartwo-bedroomapartmentsarenotonlyafixtureofNewYorkbutofLondonParisandHongKong.InNewZealandhousingpricesrosebymorethan16percentfrom2003to2004.InIrelandtheyrosemorethan10percentinthatperiod. Theriseinpricesisworrisomebecausetheinternationalhousingboomisabyproductofglobalization.Ahouseonaplotofgroundisthemostlocalofassets.47Butthefinancialmarketsthatmakeitpossibleforpeopletoborrowmoneytobuyahouseorspeculateareincreasinglyopeninternationalandlinked. InterestratepoliciesintheindustrializedworldtendtomoveinlockstepusuallyledbytheUnitedStates.Agrowingcommunityofaffluentprofessionalsaroundtheworldnowbuysecondhomesandinvestinhousingabroad. 48Theeconomiclinksactasaself-reinforcingnetworkthathasfueledtheglobalsurgeiiihousepricesbutwouldalsolikelymagnifythepainonthewaydown.Therippleswouldextendwellbeyondthehousingmarkets.AfallinAmericanhousepricesforexamplewouldcrimpconsumerspending—andfree-spendingAmericanshavesupportedgrowthinmanyexport-mindednationsnotablyChina. 49"Therealconcernisthatthehousingboomextendsacrosssomanycountriesthistime"saidSusanM.WachteraprofessorofrealestateattheWhartonSchooloftheUniversityofPennsylvania."Thatjustraisesthestakesandtheriskwhenthemusicstops." Theglobalsurgeinhousepricesisaboombydesignlargelymanufacturedbytheworld’scentralbanksledbytheFederalReserve.Anditwasdoneforgoodreason.50Facedwithafallingstockmarketandthecollapseofthehigh-techbubbletheFedcutinterestratessharplyin2000totryt0limitthedamagetotheAmericaneconomyanditstradingpartners. OthercentralbanksliketheEuropeanCentralBankquicklyfollowedtheFed’slead.Highergovernmentspendingandtaxcutswerealsopartoftheformula. Cheapcreditworldwidefueledthehousingmarketmakingmortgagepaymentslesscostly.Homeownersrefinancedtheirmortgagesatlowerratesandthesavingswentinto consumerspending.Theytookouthome-equityloansonhousesofrisingvalueandspentthatborrowedmoneyoncarsclothesfurniturerestaurantmealsandvacations.Thehigherconsumerspendingandthesoaringvalueofthehomenest-egghavekepttheglobaleconomychuggingalong. TherealconcernisthatthehousingboomextendsacrosssomanycountriesthistimesaidSusanM.WachteraprofessorofrealestateattheWhartonSchooloftheUniversityofPennsylvania.Thatjustraisesthestakesandtheriskwhenthemusicstops.
Thesedayshousepricevertigoismorethanalocalornationalcondition.It’saworldwidephenomenon. 46TheAmericanhousingboominrecentyearsisnothingcomparedwiththepricerun-upincountrieslikeFranceSpainBritainIrelandSwedenandAustraliaeventhoughmarketsinAustraliaandBritainhavecooledinthelastyear. Million-dollartwo-bedroomapartmentsarenotonlyafixtureofNewYorkbutofLondonParisandHongKong.InNewZealandhousingpricesrosebymorethan16percentfrom2003to2004.InIrelandtheyrosemorethan10percentinthatperiod. Theriseinpricesisworrisomebecausetheinternationalhousingboomisabyproductofglobalization.Ahouseonaplotofgroundisthemostlocalofassets.47Butthefinancialmarketsthatmakeitpossibleforpeopletoborrowmoneytobuyahouseorspeculateareincreasinglyopeninternationalandlinked. InterestratepoliciesintheindustrializedworldtendtomoveinlockstepusuallyledbytheUnitedStates.Agrowingcommunityofaffluentprofessionalsaroundtheworldnowbuysecondhomesandinvestinhousingabroad. 48Theeconomiclinksactasaself-reinforcingnetworkthathasfueledtheglobalsurgeiiihousepricesbutwouldalsolikelymagnifythepainonthewaydown.Therippleswouldextendwellbeyondthehousingmarkets.AfallinAmericanhousepricesforexamplewouldcrimpconsumerspending—andfree-spendingAmericanshavesupportedgrowthinmanyexport-mindednationsnotablyChina. 49"Therealconcernisthatthehousingboomextendsacrosssomanycountriesthistime"saidSusanM.WachteraprofessorofrealestateattheWhartonSchooloftheUniversityofPennsylvania."Thatjustraisesthestakesandtheriskwhenthemusicstops." Theglobalsurgeinhousepricesisaboombydesignlargelymanufacturedbytheworld’scentralbanksledbytheFederalReserve.Anditwasdoneforgoodreason.50Facedwithafallingstockmarketandthecollapseofthehigh-techbubbletheFedcutinterestratessharplyin2000totryt0limitthedamagetotheAmericaneconomyanditstradingpartners. OthercentralbanksliketheEuropeanCentralBankquicklyfollowedtheFed’slead.Highergovernmentspendingandtaxcutswerealsopartoftheformula. Cheapcreditworldwidefueledthehousingmarketmakingmortgagepaymentslesscostly.Homeownersrefinancedtheirmortgagesatlowerratesandthesavingswentinto consumerspending.Theytookouthome-equityloansonhousesofrisingvalueandspentthatborrowedmoneyoncarsclothesfurniturerestaurantmealsandvacations.Thehigherconsumerspendingandthesoaringvalueofthehomenest-egghavekepttheglobaleconomychuggingalong. Butthefinancialmarketsthatmakeitpossibleforpeopletoborrowmoneytobuyahouseorspeculateareincreasinglyopeninternationalandlinked.
Text3 Fiercelyindependent90year-oldVincenziaRinaldiwouldn’tconsiderahomehealthaideornursinghome.SoLouisCritellihernephewhadtocoaxthewidowedhomemakerintoassistedlivingthenation’sgrowinglong-termcareoptionfortheelderly.For$1100amonthRinaldibecamethereluctantresidentofanefficiencyunitwhereshecouldstillsimmerhermuch-lovedtomatosauceandwherecaregiverswouldmakesureshetookherpills. Instead30monthslatershedied.Notbecauseshewasold.ButbecauseaidesathernewhomeLorettoUticaCenteroneofthemodernhotel-stylefacilitiesthathavesproutedacrossthecountryoverthepastdecademistakenlygaveheranotherresident’sprescriptionmedication.Thaterrorledtoherdeathstateinspectorsconcluded. NeitherthestatenorLorettotoldhernephewaboutthecauseofdeath.CritellithinkinghisaunthadbeenproperlyearedforonlylearnedofthefindingyearslaterfromUSATODAY."Whentheyfindsomethingblatantlikethatyou’dthinkthey’dtellthefamily"theshakennephewtoldareporterafteralongpause. AUSATODAYinvestigationshowsthatRinaldi’sdeathrepresentsthetragicextremeinapatternofmistakesandviolationsthatleadtoscoresofinjuriesandoccasionaldeathsamong theestimated1millionelderlyresidentsofassistedlivingfacilities.Thecentersarethestate-regulatedlargelyprivate-payresidencesthathelpseniorswithmedicationandotheractivitiesofdailylife. Inawide-ranginganalysisUSATODAYreviewedtwoyearsofinspectionrecordswithin2000-02formorethan5300assistedlivingfacilitiesinsevenstates:AlabamaArizonaColoradoFloridaIndianaNewYorkandTexas.Theprecisetimeperiodvariedslightlyfromstatetostate.Theanalysiscoveredabroadrange—frommom-and-popfacilitieswithjustafewresidentstocorporate-runcenterswithscoresofbedsandmanylevelsofcare.Itisthefirsttimesuchdatahavebeengatheredandanalyzedacrosssomanystates.Thereviewincludedless-detaileddatafromfiveotherstatesandfocusedonbroadquality-of-carecategoriestocompensateforvariationsinregulationsfromstatetostate. Asaffluentandmiddle-classAmericanscopewiththeinfirmitiesofagemanyturntoassistedlivingasanalternativetoanursinghomeindustrythathasbeenperiodicallyplaguedbyabuseorneglectscandals.Eventhoughassistedlivingfacilitiesgenerallydon’tprovide24-hourskilledmedicalcaretheyincreasinglyserveseniorswhoonlyadecadeagomighthavebeeninnursinghomes. Thefirstparagraphimpliesthat
Text1 Itmighttakeonlythetouchofpeachfuzztomakeanautisticchildhowlinpain.Theodourofthefruitcouldbesooverpoweringthathegags.Forreasonsthatarenotwellunderstoodpeoplewithautismdonotintegratealloftheirsensesinwaysthathelpthemunderstandproperlywhattheyareexperiencing.Bytheageofthreethesignsofautism—infrequenteyecontactover-sensitivityorover—sensitivitytotheenvironmentdifficultymixingwithothers—areinfullforce.Thereisnocure;intensebehaviouraltherapiesserveonlytolessenthesymptoms. Theoriginsofautismareobscure.ButapaperinBrainaspecialistjournalcastssomelight.AteamheadedbyMarcelJustofCarnegieMellonUniversityandNancyMinshewoftheUniversityofPittsburghhasfoundevidenceofhowthebrainsofpeoplewithautismfunctiondifferentlyfromthosewithoutthedisorder. Usingabrain-scanningtechniquecalledfunctionalmagnetic-resonanceimagingFMRIDr.JustDr.Minshewandtheirteamcomparedthebrainactivityofyoungadultswhohad"high-functioning"autisminwhichanautiat’sIQscoreisnormalwiththatofnon-autisticparticipants.Theexperimentwasdesignedtoexaminetworegionsofthebrainknowntobeassociatedwithlanguage—Broca’sareaandWernicke’sarea—whentheparticipantswerereading. Threedifferencesemerged.FirstWernicke’sareathepartresponsibleforunderstandingindividualwordswasmoreactiveinautiststhannon-autists.SecondBroca’sarea—wherethecomponentsoflanguageareintegratedtoproducemeaning—waslessactive.Thirdtheactivityofthetwoareaswaslesssynchronised. ThisresearchhasledDr.Justtoofferanexplanationforautism.Hecallsit"underconnectivitytheory".Itdependsonhrecentbodyofworkwhichsuggeststhatthebrain’swhitematterthewiringthatconnectsthemainbodiesofthenervecellsorgreymattertogetherislessdenseandlessabundantinthebrainofanautisticpersonthaninthatofanon-autist.Dr.Justsuggeststhatabnormalwhitemattercausesthegreymattertoadapttotheresultinglackofcommunication.Thishonessomeregionstolevelsofsuperiorabilitywhileothersfallbythewayside. TheteamchosetoexamineBroca’sandWernicke’sareasbecauselanguage-basedexperimentsareeasytoconduct.Butiftheunderconnectivitytheoryappliestotherestofthebraintooitwouldbelessofamysterywhysomepeoplewithautismarehypersensitivetotheirenvironmentsandothersareabletodocertaintaskssuchasarithmeticsowell.Andifitistruethatunderconnectivityisindeedthemainproblemthentreatmentsmightbedevelopedtostimulatethegrowthofthewhite-matterwiring. Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothefirstparagraph
Text4 InapaperjustpublishedinSciencePeterGordonofColumbiaUniversityuseshisstudyofthe Pirahaandtheircountingsystemtotrytoansweratrickylinguisticquestion.ThePirahaagroupofhunter-gathererswholivealongthebanksoftheMaiciRiverinBraziluseasystemofcountingcalled"one-two-many".Inthisthewordfor"one"translatesto"roughlyone"similarto"oneortwo"inEnglishthewordfor"two"means"aslightlylargeramountthanone"similarto"afew"inEnglishandthewordfor"many"means"amuchlargeramount". ThisquestionwasposedbyBenjaminLeeWhorlinthe1930s.WhorlstudiedHopianAmerindianlanguageverydifferentfromtheEurasianlanguagesthathadhithertobeenthesubjectofacademiclinguistics.Hisworkledhimtosuggestthatlanguagenotonlyinfluencesthoughtbutmorestronglythatitdeterminesthought. Whilethereisnodisputethatlanguageinfluenceswhatpeoplethinkaboutevidencesuggestingitdeterminesthoughtisinconclusive.Forexamplein1972EleanorRoschandKarlHeiderinvestigatedthecolour-namingabilitiesoftheDanipeopleofIndonesia.TheDanihavewordsforonlytwocolours:blackandwhite.ButDr.RoschandDr.HeiderfoundthatevensoDanicoulddistinguishandcomprehendothercolours.ThatdoesnotsupportthedeterministicversionoftheWhorfhypothesis. WhilerecognisingthattherearesuchthingsascoloursforwhichyouhavenonameiscertainlyacognitiveleapitmaynotbeagoodtestofWhorf’sideas.Coloursafterallareoutthereeverywhere.Numbersbycontrastareabstractsomaybeabettertest.Dr.Gordonthere[orespentamonthwiththePirahaandelicitedthehelpofsevenofthemtoseehowfartheirgraspofnumbersextended. Thetestsbegansimplywitharowofsaysevenevenlyspacedbatteries.Graduallytheygotmorecomplicated.Themorecomplicatedtestsincludedtaskssuchasmatchingnumbersofunevenlyspacedobjectsreplicatingthenumberofobjectsfrommemoryandcopyinganumberofstraightlinesfromadrawing. Intheteststhatinvolvedmatchingthenumberandlayoutofobjectstheycouldseeparticipantswereprettygoodwhenfacedwithtwoorthreeitemsbutfoundithardertocopeasthenumberofitemsrose.Thingswereworsewhentheparticipantshadtorememberthenumberofobjectsinalayoutandreplicateit"blind"ratherthanmatchingalayouttheycould see.Inthiscasethesuccessratedroppedtozerowhenthenumberofitemsbecameintermsoftheirlanguage"many". Andlinedrawingproducedtheworstresultsofall—thoughthatcouldhavehadasmuchtodowiththefactthatdrawingisnotpartofPicahacultureasitdidwiththedifficultiesofnumericalabstraction.IndeedDr.Gordondescribedthetaskofreproducingstraightlinesasbeingaccomplishedonlywith"heavysighsandgroans". Whichofthefollowingquestionsdoesthetextanswer
Text2 SaudiArabiatheoilindustry’sswingproducerhasbecomeitsflip-flopper.InFebruaryitpersuadedOPECtocutitstotalproductionquotasbylmbarrelsperdaybpdto23.5masaprecautionagainstanoil-pricecrashthisspring.Thatfearhassincebeenreplacedbyitsopposite.ThepriceofWestTexascrudehit$40lastweekitshighestsincetheeveofthefirstIraqwarpromptingconcernsthathigheroilpricescouldsapthevigourofAmerica’srecoveryandcompoundthefrailtyofEurope’s.OnMondayMay10thAlial-NaimiSaudiArabia’senergyministercalledonOPECtoraisequotasbyatleast1.5mbpdatitsnextmeetingonJune3rd. Thusfarthehighoilpricehasbeenlargelyaconsequenceofgoodthingssuchasastrengtheningworldeconomyratherthanacauseofbadthingssuchasfasterinflationorslowergrowth.China’sburgeoningeconomyguzzledabout6mbpdinthefirstquarterofthisyear15%morethanayearagoaccordingtoGoldmanSachs.DemandwasalsostrongintherestofAsiaexcludingJapangrowingby5.2%to8.lmbpd.AstheyearprogressestheseasonalrhythmsofAmerica’sdriverswilldictatepricesatleastofthelightersweetercrudes.Americanstaketotheroadsenmasseinthesummerandspeculatorsaredrivinguptheoilpricenowinanticipationofpeakdemandinafewmonths’time. UntilrecentlytheriseinthedollarpriceofoilwasoffsetoutsideAmericaandChinabythefallinthedollaritself.Butthecurrencyhasregainedsomegroundinrecentweeksandtheoilpricehascontinuedtorise.Evensotalkofanotheroil-priceshockispremature.ThepriceofoiladjustedforinflationisonlyhalfwhatitwasinDecember1979andtheUnitedStatesnowuseshalfasmuchenergyperdollarofoutputasitdidintheearly1970s.Butifoilcannotshocktheworldeconomyquiteasitusedtoitcanstillgiveit"agoodkick"warnsGoldmanSachs.Ifaverageoilpricesfortheyearcomein10%higherthanitforecastitreckonsCDPgrowthintheGroupofSevenCTrichnationswillbereducedby0.3%or$70billion. TheAmericansarecertainlytakingtheissueseriously.JohnSnowtheirtreasurysecretarycalledOPEC’sFebruarydecision"regrettable"andtheriseinpricessincethen"nothelpful".Washingtonpayscloseheedtothemanatthepetrolpumpwhohasseentheaveragepriceofagallonofunleadedpetrolriseby39centsinthepastyear.AndtheSaudissomemutterpaycloseheedtoWashington. BesidesthehighoilpricemayhavefilledSaudicoffersbutithasalsoaffrontedSaudipride.Mr.al-Naimithinksthehighpriceisduetofearsthatsupplymightbedisruptedinthefuture.Thesefearshesaysare"unwarranted".ButthehulkingmachineryintheArabiandesertthatkeepsoilflowingroundtheworldpresentsaninvitingtargettoterroristsshouldtheytireofbombingembassiesandnightclubs.OnMay1stgunmenkilledsixpeopleinaSaudiofficeofABBLummusGlobalanAmericanoilcontractor.SuchincidentsaddtotheriskpremiumfactoredintotheoilpriceapremiumthattheSaudistakeasavoteofnoconfidenceintheirkingdomanditsabilitytoguaranteethesupplyofoilinthefaceofterroristthreats. JohnSnow'sremarksarementionedinthetexttoshow
TheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfaceappearstobegrowing.Thephenomenonwhichsomedub"globalbrightening"1scientistswithapuzzle.Ifthe2isrealandglobalhowlongwillitlastandwhataretheconsequencesforclimatechangetheplanet’swatercycleandother3thatdrawenergyfromsunlight4theanswermightseemobvious:Moresunlightreachingthegroundinawarmingworldmeansthattemperatureswillgetwarmer5Notsofastsomeresearcherssay.Additionalwarmingwouldbecertain6nothingelseintheclimatesystemchanges.Andtheclimatesystemis7static.Somecombinationsofchangescouldreinforcetheheating;otherscould8it.Unravelingtheseinteractionsandforecastingtheircourserequireanaccurateaccountingofthesunlightreachingthesurfaceandthe9thesurfacesendsskyward.Moreoverresearcherssaymeasurementsofthesun’sstrengthatEarth’ssurfacearepotentiallypowerfultoolsfor10humaninfluencesontheclimate. Earth’sradiation"budget"11an"extremelyimportantparameterthatis12known"saysRobertCharlsonanatmosphericscientistattheUniversityofWashingtonatSeattle."Itneedstobe13muchbetterthanitis."14abouttheamountofsunlightreachingEarth’ssurfacewerefirstraisedin1974.ResearchersfromtheUnitedStatesandIsraelrecordeda12%drop15sunlightover40yearsata16stationinthesouthernSinaiPeninsula.Sincethenothershaveusedavarietyoftechniquestotrytotrack17sunlight.Threeyearsagoforexamplea18ledbyBeateLiepertatColumbiaUniversity’sLamont-DohertyEarthObservatorygathereddatafromground19aroundtheworldandfoundthatsolarradiationreachingthesurfacefell204%from1961to1990. Readthefollowingtext.ChoosethebestwordsforeachnumberedblankandmarkABCandDonANSWERSHEET1.19
Text2 SaudiArabiatheoilindustry’sswingproducerhasbecomeitsflip-flopper.InFebruaryitpersuadedOPECtocutitstotalproductionquotasbylmbarrelsperdaybpdto23.5masaprecautionagainstanoil-pricecrashthisspring.Thatfearhassincebeenreplacedbyitsopposite.ThepriceofWestTexascrudehit$40lastweekitshighestsincetheeveofthefirstIraqwarpromptingconcernsthathigheroilpricescouldsapthevigourofAmerica’srecoveryandcompoundthefrailtyofEurope’s.OnMondayMay10thAlial-NaimiSaudiArabia’senergyministercalledonOPECtoraisequotasbyatleast1.5mbpdatitsnextmeetingonJune3rd. Thusfarthehighoilpricehasbeenlargelyaconsequenceofgoodthingssuchasastrengtheningworldeconomyratherthanacauseofbadthingssuchasfasterinflationorslowergrowth.China’sburgeoningeconomyguzzledabout6mbpdinthefirstquarterofthisyear15%morethanayearagoaccordingtoGoldmanSachs.DemandwasalsostrongintherestofAsiaexcludingJapangrowingby5.2%to8.lmbpd.AstheyearprogressestheseasonalrhythmsofAmerica’sdriverswilldictatepricesatleastofthelightersweetercrudes.Americanstaketotheroadsenmasseinthesummerandspeculatorsaredrivinguptheoilpricenowinanticipationofpeakdemandinafewmonths’time. UntilrecentlytheriseinthedollarpriceofoilwasoffsetoutsideAmericaandChinabythefallinthedollaritself.Butthecurrencyhasregainedsomegroundinrecentweeksandtheoilpricehascontinuedtorise.Evensotalkofanotheroil-priceshockispremature.ThepriceofoiladjustedforinflationisonlyhalfwhatitwasinDecember1979andtheUnitedStatesnowuseshalfasmuchenergyperdollarofoutputasitdidintheearly1970s.Butifoilcannotshocktheworldeconomyquiteasitusedtoitcanstillgiveit"agoodkick"warnsGoldmanSachs.Ifaverageoilpricesfortheyearcomein10%higherthanitforecastitreckonsCDPgrowthintheGroupofSevenCTrichnationswillbereducedby0.3%or$70billion. TheAmericansarecertainlytakingtheissueseriously.JohnSnowtheirtreasurysecretarycalledOPEC’sFebruarydecision"regrettable"andtheriseinpricessincethen"nothelpful".Washingtonpayscloseheedtothemanatthepetrolpumpwhohasseentheaveragepriceofagallonofunleadedpetrolriseby39centsinthepastyear.AndtheSaudissomemutterpaycloseheedtoWashington. BesidesthehighoilpricemayhavefilledSaudicoffersbutithasalsoaffrontedSaudipride.Mr.al-Naimithinksthehighpriceisduetofearsthatsupplymightbedisruptedinthefuture.Thesefearshesaysare"unwarranted".ButthehulkingmachineryintheArabiandesertthatkeepsoilflowingroundtheworldpresentsaninvitingtargettoterroristsshouldtheytireofbombingembassiesandnightclubs.OnMay1stgunmenkilledsixpeopleinaSaudiofficeofABBLummusGlobalanAmericanoilcontractor.SuchincidentsaddtotheriskpremiumfactoredintotheoilpriceapremiumthattheSaudistakeasavoteofnoconfidenceintheirkingdomanditsabilitytoguaranteethesupplyofoilinthefaceofterroristthreats. Itisimpliedinthesecondparagraphthat
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