Human Capital - How what you know shapes your life

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 20 Feb 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264029088 Price: C15 I $19 1$10

    This book explores the influence of education and learning on our societies and lives and examines what countries are doing to provide education and training to support people throughout their lives.

Economic Policy Reforms -- Going/or Growth, 2007 Edition

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 15 Feb 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264030473 Price: $60|$75|$41

    Based on a broad set of indicators of structural policies and performance, Going for Grcwth 2007 takes stock of the recent progress made in implementing policy reforms and identifies, for each OECD country, five policy priorities to lift growth.

Climate Change in the European Alps -- Adapting Winter Tourism and Natural Hazards Management

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 22 Jan 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264031685 Price: $24 $32$ 17

The first systematic cross-country analysis of snow-reliability of Alpine ski areas under climate change for five countries in the region: France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Germany.

OECD in Figures 2006--2007--Statistics on the Member Countries -- OECD Observer

-- Volume 2006 Supplement 1

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 05 Jan 2007

Language: English ISBN: 9789264022638 Price.; $15 |$20 |$10

    A handy pocket reference containing key data covering the entire range of OECD

work including the economy, employment, health, education, migration, the environment, science and technology, public finances, agriculture, trade, and development aid.

OECD Economic Outlook -- December No, 80 -- Volume 2006 Issue 2

Version: Print (Paperback) Publication date: 26 Jan 2007

language-English ISBN: 9789264030954 Price: $80 | $97|$55

    OECD's twice yearly assessment and projections for the economies of the OECD area and selected non-members. This edition also looks at the rise in household debt.

1．Which of the following books was published most lately?

     A．OECD in Figures 2006-2007．    B．OECD Economic Outlook.

     C．Human Capital.                  D．Climate Change in the European Alps.

2．We can learn from the passage that Alps is

     A．an Austrian interesting place most attractive in summer seasons

    B．an European mountain belonging to three countries

    C．a stadium for skiing lovers from five European countries

    D．an European mountain famous for its winter skiing

3．From the book with ISBN ____ you can get a wider range of information about OECD.

    A．9789264029088                  B．9789264022638

    C．9789264030954                 D．9789264030473

4．You should afford___________Euro dollars for a book to know about the recent progress in economic policies in the OECD countries.

    A．60             B．15                  C．55              D．80

5．All the five books are________

    A．written in English

    B．concerned about OECD countries

    C．involved with education and economy

    D．published by the same print

At one time, people used to travel to foreign countries because they thought the building, the food, the national dress there would be different from home. Nowadays, however, one large city is very like another. They all have their Hilton or Sheraton Hotels which look like Hilton or Sheraton Hotels everywhere. They all have their McDonald’s, their KFCs, their Pizza Huts. Office buildings look the same everywhere, and most city centers are full of office buildings. And, of course, people are driving the same brands of Japanese or European cars, usually wearing the same kinds of clothing and watching the same American movies and TV shows. Airports are the same everywhere and the world’s airlines are all flying the same aircraft, Boeings or Airbuses.

    What, therefore, is the purpose of foreign travel for people who are not on business? What do tourists hope to experience in a foreign country that they cannot experience at home? Why do they travel to foreign countries at all?  The answer could be that people are very interested in the past. It is a nation’s history that is its main attraction. Most of today’s tourists travel overseas to find out what foreign countries and cultures used to be like, not what they are like today. The words “cultural tourism” are now part of the language of tourism, and it is the museums and works of art in many countries that are their main attractions.

    If they are lucky many countries also usually have at least a few beautiful places for tourists to visit.

    Finally there is perhaps a nation’s greatest attraction: its people. A nation is not just its historical buildings, its works of art or beautiful places, and it is also the people who live in it. This is why a country such as Thailand attracts millions of people every year. They come mainly because of the friendliness of the Thai people, and it is why the Pacific Islands are also so popular. There may not be much to see or do in Fiji, but there are lots of friendly, smiling people to make visitors feel welcome.

1.The passage is mainly about __________.

  A. the importance of tourism              B. different foreign cultures

  C. how to plan an overseas trip           D. why people travel to foreign countries

2.The writer thinks that large cities in foreign countries __________.

  A. are similar to one another         B. share the same aircraft

  C. do not have good hotels            D. do not offer a warm service to foreigners

3.The writer believes that many tourists are interested in foreign ________.

  A. hotels          B. history          C. cars          D. programs

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous（繁荣的） and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.

However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money-earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.

The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

51. What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

A. Australians speak Standard English with no local accents whatsoever.

B. You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C. The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D. There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

52. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B. The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.

C. The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

D. The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

53. The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

A. community    B. racism    C. blend of Nations   D. Southeast Asia

54. We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities

B. Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

C. immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems

D. “riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities

55. This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s ______.

A. society       B. economy     C. racial problems     D. history

Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．

Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed railway system．And that’s not a11．China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．

China is negotiating to extend its own high·-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．

China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming withSingapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly

to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．

If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beiling in under two days．

The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．

    China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the

 World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．

Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．

But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on

domestic railway expansion．

China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital

investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．

It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countnes．

For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11．And they’11 trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．

1．China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ____________．

  A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions

  B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways

  C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries

  D． the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism

2．According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is____________．

  A．technical issues    B．safety of the system

  C．financial problems  D．maintenance of railway tracks

3.Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed

  railway plan?

  A．Critical．    B．Reserved．    C．Doubtful     D. Positive．

4．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

  A．New Railway Standards    B．Big Railway Dreams

  C．High—speed Bullet Trains D．International Railway Network

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.
【小题1】What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?