Section C

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.  For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

 Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in  economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.  The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster,  population  and  economic  trends.  It  found  that  human-influenced  climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (营养不良) and heat-related health problems.  But  even  before  its  release,  the  report  drew criticism  from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions. Along  with  the  deaths,  the  report  said  that  the  lives  of  325  million  people, primarily  in  poor  countries,  were  being  seriously  affected  by  climate  change.  It projected that the number would double by 2030.  Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies  disaster  trends,  said  the  Forum’s  report  was  “a  methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the  growth  in  populations  and  economic  development  in  vulnerable  (易受伤害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost  attention.”  But  the  report,  he  said,  “will  harm  the  cause  for  action  on  both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”However,  Soren  Andreasen,  a  social  scientist  at  Dalberg  Global  Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders,

who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate

treaty. In  a  press  release  describing  the  report,  Mr.  Annan  stressed  the  need  for  the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to

help reduce their vulnerability to climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of the  heat-trapping  gases.  More  than  90%  of  the  human  and  economic  losses  from

climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡 2 上作答。  

56. What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?

A) Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.

B) Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.

C) Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.

D) Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.

57. What do we learn about the Forum’s report from the passage?

A) It caused a big stir in developing countries.

B) It was warmly received by environmentalists.

C) It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.

D) It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.

58. What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum’s report?

A) Its statistics look embarrassing.

B) It deserves our closest attention.

C) It is invalid in terms of methodology.

D) Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.

59. What is Soren Andreasen’s view of the report?

A) Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.

B) It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.

C) It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.

D) Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.

60. What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?

A) How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.

B) How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.

C) How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.

D) How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.

Passage Two

Questions 61 to 65 are based on the following passage.

It’s an annual argument. Do we or do we not go on holiday? My partner says no because the boiler could go, or the roof fall off, and we have no savings to save us. I say you only live once and we work hard and what’s the point if you can’t go on holiday. The joy of a recession means no argument next year – we just won’t go. Since money is known to be one of the things most likely to bring a relationship to its knees, we should be grateful. For many families the recession means more than not booking  a  holiday.  A  YouGov poll of  2,000  people  found  22%  said  they  were arguing more with their partners because of concerns about money. What’s less clear is whether divorce and separation rates rise in a recession – financial pressures mean

couples  argue  more  but  make  splitting  up less affordable. A recent research shows

arguments  about  money  were  especially  damaging  to  couples.  Disputes  were

characterised by intense verbal (言语上的) aggression, tended to be repeated and not resolved, and made men, more than women, extremely angry. Kim Stephenson, an occupational psychologist, believes money is such a big deal because  of  what  it symbolises,  which  may  be  different  things  to  men  and  women. “People can say the same things about money but have different ideas of what it’s for,” he explains. “They’ll say it’s to save, to spend, for security, for freedom, to show someone  you  love  them.”  He  says  men  are  more  likely  to  see  money  as  a  way  of buying status and of showing their parents that they’ve achieved something. “The biggest problem is that couples assume each other knows what’s going on with their finances, but they don’t. There seems to be more of a taboo (禁忌) about talking about money than about death. But you both need to know what you’re doing, who’s paying what into  the  joint  account and how much you  keep  separately.  In a healthy relationship, you don’t have to agree about money, but you have to talk about it.”

注意：此部分试题请在答题卡 2 上作答。

61. What does the author say about vacationing?

A) People enjoy it all the more during a recession.

B) Few people can afford it without working hard.

C) It is the chief cause of family disputes.

D) It makes all the hard work worthwhile.

62. What does the author mean by saying “money is known ... to bring a relationship

to its knees” (Lines 1-2, Para. 2)?

A) Money is considered to be the root of all evils.

B) Disputes over money may ruin a relationship.

C) Few people can resist the temptation of money.

D) Some people sacrifice their dignity for money.

63. The YouGov poll of 2,000 people indicates that in a recession ________.

A) couples show more concern for each other

B) it is more expensive for couples to split up

C) conflicts between couples tend to rise

D) divorce and separation rates increase