I love seeing Europeans line up in airports to applaud arriving refugees. But humanitarianism (人道主义) will not guide policy for long. We liberals need to argue from Europe’s self-interest: our continent has the need, the space and the ability to accept people.

Many European countries are gradually turning into old people’s homes. Germany, Italy, Spain and others have some of the lowest birth rates in human history. It is predicted that about one-third of their populations will be aged over 65 in 2050. Germany needs to import at least 350,000 people a year to keep its workforce stable. Suddenly, young ambitious workers are pouring into the country as if called by a genie (精灵) with a lamp. No wonder Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, has been more welcoming than David Cameron, British Prime Minister. But all over Europe, carers for old people are already in need. Norway found oil under the seabed but it would have been better off if it had discovered 50,000 nurses there instead.

Many rightwingers think we have reached our limits. This feeling is widespread. And it’s true that Western Europe is one of the most densely populated regions on earth. Indeed, density has long been Europe’s unique selling point: with so many people of different nations closely packed together, we have always traded goods and exchanged ideas fast. That’s why the scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries happened here.

But we have plenty more room. Many European cities aren’t dense enough. Now east Germany, north-western Spain and gorgeous mountain villages in Italy are losing people. Lots of cities have unused industrial land.

Humans inhabit a slice of the EU’s territory. Only about 2.5 per cent of the EU’s land is used for housing, estimates the European Commission. By contrast, a whopping 43 per cent was used for agriculture in 2009, it says. That’s too much. We could turn more land into forest or into green landscapes where people can relax and play. Making that transition is feasible because we now use agricultural land inefficiently.

Migrants often spend years locked up together in serious government-funded “migrant centers”. However, the way to learn a new country’s language, make friends and find work is to live with a local. This crisis has shown that lots of Europeans are willing to take refugees into their homes. After Iceland’s government said it could take only 50 Syrian refugees, many Icelanders came forward offering to take a far greater number into their own homes. People aren’t just sitting around waiting for government to do something.

We need migrants, and we can accommodate them. If opponents just don’t like foreigners, they should say so instead of pretending to be hardheaded pragmatists (实用主义者).

1.Why is Angela Merkel willing to take in refugees according to the passage?

A. Germany has already stepped into aged society.

B. Birth rates in Germany are the lowest in history.

C. She is kind and shows sympathy for homeless people.

D. Refugees can make up the shortage of labor in Germany.

2.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. No other region is more densely populated than Western Europe.

B. Density has become Europe’s most outstanding characteristic.

C. All European cities are not crowded together in great numbers.

D. Large quantities of unused industrial land will turn into forest.

3.It can be inferred that _______.

A. nurses are more badly needed than petrol in Europe

B. liberals always do something for the Europe’s benefit

C. aging problem in Germany is the worst in Europe

D. Europeans have already made intelligent use of the land

4.What is the last paragraph but one mainly about?

A. Migrants can privately be accommodated.

B. Migrants had better not live in migrant centers.

C. Everyone can live with migrants to help them fit in.

D. Everyone has done their own part to help migrants.

As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us.Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks.The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem.

Sharks, in particular, are “in” these days.Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool.

The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction -- up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins.But we have started to reverse the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu.

In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations.

Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years.These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins.

Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products.These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life.

Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business.The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury(奢侈的)goods has become a full-scale war.The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming.Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for high-end products that rely on killing animals.

1.The underlined word “reverse” in Paragraph 3 probably means _______.

A. follow

B. keep

C. change

D. show

2.From the passage, we know _______.

A. a lot of wild animals have been killed for products

B. Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular

C. Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect sharks

D. the number of African elephants has been increased

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A. People have kicked the habit of having shark fin soup.

B. Shark fins will not be available any more in restaurants.

C. Global efforts have succeeded in stopping killing wild animals.

D. More animals for high-end products will be saveD.

Homework and stress are rarely reduced inside the classroom.Meanwhile,outside the classroom,the pressure is on to find scholarships for college.

According to Braintrack,a higher education database with worldwide reach,more than 3 billion US dollars (18 billion yuan) in private scholarships are awarded to college students annually.Average awards range from $2,000 to $3,000.

The scholarship application process is similar to the college application process: forms to be completed,test scores and transcripts to be sent,essays to be written and often interviews to be prepared for.

A few great places to start looking for scholarships are: www.fastweb.com,www.finaid.org and www.collegexpress.com.Check out the annual scholarship guidebooks Scholarships,Grants & Prizes by Peterson’s and the Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships,Grants and Prizes by Gen Tanabe and Kelly Tanabe.

Be selective.Thoroughly research the qualifications required by each of the scholarships.Don’t waste your time applying for those that are need based if you can’t produce the appropriate documents.

Research past recipients (接受者).Check out the websites of the organizations sponsoring the scholarships.Many post the biographies of past recipients.You don’t need to have cured cancer,but if you don’t think your résumé (履历) measures up to the past winners’,you might be better served by moving onto the next scholarship on your list.Prepare for the interview.

You’ll want to dazzle them with your personality,but above all you’ll want to be prepared.Find someone you trust to conduct a similar interview with you – someone who will be honest with you and provide valuable suggestions.

Let your personality shine through in your essays.The essays are the best way for students to share who they are,where they’ve come from,what they’ve overcome and so on.Tell your story in an interesting and persuasive way.And if you do have an interview,send a thank you note afterward.

By Lee Bierer

1.What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?

A.To explain where to find scholarships for US colleges.

B.To inform readers of the scholarship application process.

C.To introduce some typical scholarships offered by US colleges.

D.To give tips on applying for US college scholarships.

2.If you want to learn about past recipients of a scholarship,you can use ______.

A.www.collegexpress.com

B.the annual scholarship guidebooks published by Peterson’s

C.the websites of the organizations sponsoring the scholarships

D.The Ultimate Scholarship Book: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships,Grants and Prizes

3.The underlined word “dazzle” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ___.

A.influence B.impress C.guide D.present

4.To increase your chance of winning a scholarship,you are advised to ____.

A.apply for as many scholarships as you can

B.tell an interesting story in your essay

C.do a similar interview to help you prepare for the real one

D.have a talk with past recipients and try to talk like they do

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