The Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century left an abundance of _ paintings reflecting the traditions of detailed realism.A. exquisiteB. explicitC. exceptionalD. exclusive

These sentences use the target words and phrases in new contexts. Complete them with the words and phrases in the box.ownership scarce regional stray consistentrent conference interaction aspect phobia1. Our family decided to keep the ______ cat that we found on our porch.2. A fear of spiders is a very common ______.3. Do you have any proof of ______ of this car?4. His disability has affected every ______ of his life.5. The group assignment was intended to promote ______ between the students.6. Because this species of bird has been overhunted, it is now ______.7. Tim must ______ a car while his is being fixed.8. As a new employee, Kim needs to attend the ______ to learn about the company culture.9. The ______ conflict soon spread, and erupted into violent warfare.10. It is important for parents to be ______ in how they discipline their children.

Reducing the Effects of Climate ChangeMark Rowe reports on the increasingly ambitious geo-engineering projects being explored by scientistsA Such is our dependence on fossil fuels, and such is the volume of carbon dioxide already released into the atmosphere, that many experts agree that significant global warming is now inevitable. They believe that the best we can do is keep it at a reasonable level, and at present the only serious option for doing this is cutting back on our carbon emissions. But while a few countries are making major strides in this regard, the majority are having great difficulty even stemming the rate of increase, let alone reversing it. Consequently, an increasing number of scientists are beginning to explore the alternative of geo-engineering-a term which generally refers to the intentional large-scale manipulation of the environment. According to its proponents, geo-engineering is the equivalent of a backup generator: if Plan A-reducing our dependency on fossil fuels—fails, we require a Plan B, employing grand schemes to slow down or reverse the process of global warming.B Geo-engineering has been shown to work, at least on a small localised scale. For decades, May Day parades in Moscow have taken place under clear blue skies, aircraft having deposited dry ice, silver iodide and cement powder to disperse clouds. Many of the schemes now suggested look to do the opposite, and reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the planet. The most eye-catching idea of all is suggested by Professor Roger Angel of the University of Arizona. His scheme would employ up to 16 trillion minute spacecraft, each weighing about one gram, to form a transparent, sunlight-refracting sunshade in an orbit 1.5 million km above the Earth. This could, argues Angel, reduce the amount of light reaching the Earth by two per cent.C The majority of geo-engineering projects so far carried out-which include planting forests in deserts and depositing iron in the ocean to stimulate the growth of algae-have focused on achieving a general cooling of the Earth. But some look specifically at reversing the melting at the poles, particularly the Arctic. The reasoning is that if you replenish the ice sheets and frozen waters of the high latitudes, more light will be reflected back into space, so reducing the warming of the oceans and atmosphere.D The concept of releasing aerosol sprays into the stratosphere above the Arctic has been proposed by several scientists. This would involve using sulphur or hydrogen sulphide aerosols so that sulphur dioxide would form clouds, which would, in turn, lead to a global dimming. The idea is modelled on historic volcanic explosions, such as that of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, which led to a short-term cooling of global temperatures by 0.5 °C. Scientists have also scrutinised whether it's possible to preserve the ice sheets of Greenland with reinforced high-tension cables, preventing icebergs from moving into the sea. Meanwhile in the Russian Arctic, geo-engineering plans include the planting of millions of birch trees. Whereas the region's native evergreen pines shade the snow and absorb radiation, birches would shed their leaves in winter, thus enabling radiation to be reflected by the snow. Re-routing Russian rivers to increase cold water flow to ice-forming areas could also be used to slow down warming, say some climate scientists.E But will such schemes ever be implemented? Generally speaking, those who are most cautious about geo-engineering are the scientists involved in the research. Angel says that his plan is 'no substitute for developing renewable energy: the only permanent solution'. And Dr Phil Rasch of the US-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is equally guarded about the role of geo­engineering: "I think all of us agree that if we were to end geo-engineering on a given day, then the planet would return to its pre-engineered condition very rapidly, and probably within ten to twenty years. That's certainly something to worry about."F The US National Center for Atmospheric Research has already suggested that the proposal to inject sulphur into the atmosphere might affect rainfall patterns across the tropics and the Southern Ocean. 'Geo-engineering plans to inject stratospheric aerosols or to seed clouds would act to cool the planet, and act to increase the extent of sea ice, ' says Rasch. 'But all the models suggest some impact on the distribution of precipitation.'G 'A further risk with geo-engineering projects is that you can "overshoot" , says Dr Dan Lunt, from the University of Bristol's School of Geophysical Sciences, who has studied the likely impacts of the sunshade and aerosol schemes on the climate. "You may bring global temperatures back to pre-industrial levels, but the risk is that the poles will still be warmer than they should be and the tropics will be cooler than before industrialisation." To avoid such a scenario, Lunt says Angel's project would have to operate at half strength; all of which reinforces his view that the best option is to avoid the need for geo-engineering altogether.H The main reason why geo-engineering is supported by many in the scientific community is that most researchers have little faith in the ability of politicians to agree-and then bring in-the necessary carbon cuts. Even leading conservation organisations see the value of investigating the potential of geo-engineering. According to Dr Martin Sommerkorn, climate change advisor for the World Wildlife Fund's International Arctic Programme, 'Human-induced climate change has brought humanity to a position where we shouldn't exclude thinking thoroughly about this topic and its possibilities.'mention of a geo-engineering project based on an earlier natural phenomenon an example of a successful use of geo-engineering a common definition of geo-engineering Procedure Aim put a large number of tiny spacecraft into orbit far above Earth to create a 1 that would reduce the amount of light reaching Earth place 2 in the sea to encourage 3 to form release aerosol sprays into the stratosphere to create 4 that would reduce the amount of light reaching Earth fix strong 5 to Greenland ice sheets to prevent icebergs moving into the sea plant trees in Russian Arctic that would lose their leaves in winter to allow the 6 to reflect radiation change the direction of 7 to bring more cold water into ice-forming areas Match each statement with the correct scientist, A-D.Write the correct letter, A-D, in boxes 1-4 on your answer sheet.1.The effects of geo-engineering may not be long-lasting.A.Roger Angel2.Geo-engineering is a topic worth exploring.B.Phil Rasch3.It may be necessary to limit the effectiveness of geo-engineering projects.C.Dan Lunt4.Research into non-fossil-based fuels cannot be replaced by geo-engineering.D.Martin Sommerkorn

Statistics are persuasive． So much so that people， organizations， and whole countries base some of their most important decisions on organized data． But there's a problem with that． Any set of statistics might have something lurking inside it， something that can turn the results completely upside down．For example， imagine you need to choose between two hospitals for an elderly relative's surgery． Out of each hospital's last 1000 patients， 900 survived at Hospital A， while only 800 survived at Hospital B． So it looks like Hospital A is the better choice． But before you make your decision， remember that not all patients arrive at the hospital with the same level of health． And if we divide each hospital's last 1000 patients into those who arrived in good health and those who arrived in poor health， the picture starts to look very different．Hospital A had only 100 patients who arrived in poor health， of which 30 survived． But Hospital B had 400， and they were able to save 210． So Hospital B is the better choice for patients who arrive at hospital in poor health， with a survival rate of 52.5%． And what if your relative's health is good when she arrives at the hospital？ Strangely enough， Hospital B is still the better choice， with a survival rate of over 98%．So how can Hospital A have a better overall survival rate if Hospital B has better survival rates for patients in each of the two groups？ What we've stumbled upon is a case of Simpson's paradox， where the same set of data can appear to show opposite trends depending on how it's grouped．This often occurs when collected data hides a conditional variable， sometimes known as a lurking variable， which is a hidden additional factor that significantly influences results． Here， the hidden factor is the relative proportion of patients who arrive in good or poor health．Simpson's paradox isn't just ahypothetical situation． It pops up from time to time in the real world， sometimes in important contexts． One study in the UK appeared to show that smokers had a higher survival rate than nonsmokers over a twenty-year time period． That is， until dividing the participants by age group showed that the nonsmokers were significantly older on average， and thus， more likely to die during the trial period， precisely because they were living longer in general． Here， the age groups are the lurking variable， and are vital to correctly interpret the data．So how do we avoid falling for the paradox？ Unfortunately， there's no one-size-fits-all answer． Data can be grouped and divided in any number of ways， and overall numbers may sometimes give a more accurate picture than data divided into misleading or arbitrary categories． All we can do is carefully study the actual situations the statistics describe and consider whether lurking variables may be present． Otherwise， we leave ourselves vulnerable to those who would use data to manipulate others and promote their own agendas．47． What is meant to be conveyed by the hospital example？ ____ A．Statistics are persuasive．B．Statistics can be misleading．C．Statistics should be the basis of decisions．D．Statistics always have something hidden behind．48． What does the underlined word "hypothetical" in paragraph 6 mean？ ____ A．imaginaryB． actualC． obviousD． typical49． What can be inferred from the passage？ ____ A．One cannot avoid falling for Simpson's paradox．B．A lurking variable is different from a conditional variable．C．Simpson's paradox is named after a statist named Simpson．D．The way a set of data is grouped will influence the trend it shows．50．What does the writer suggest in decision making？ ____ A．Find a one-size-fits-all solution to the Simpson Paradox．B．Cooperate with data-manipulators as possible as you can．C．Study the statistics carefully and check the lurking variable．D．Focus on the overall numbers since it gives a more accurate picture．

六、Section B (总题数:1,分数:71.00)The Price of Oil and the Price of Carbon [A]Fossil fuel prices are likely to stay “low for long.” Notwithstanding important recent progress in developing renewable fuel sources, low fossil fuel prices could discourage further innovation in, and adoption of, cleaner energy technologies. The result would be higher emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. [B]Policymakers should not allow low energy prices to derail the clean energy transition. Action to restore appropriate price incentives, notably through corrective carbon pricing, is urgently needed to lower the risk of irreversible and potentially devastating effects of climate change. That approach also offers fiscal benefits. [C]Oil prices have dropped by over 60% since June 2014. A commonly held view in the oil industry is that “the best cure for low oil prices is low oil prices.” The reasoning behind this saying is that low oil prices discourage investment in new production capacity, eventually shifting the oil supply curve backward and bringing prices back up as existing oil fields一which can be tapped at relatively low marginal cost—are depleted. In fact, in line with past experience capital expenditure in the oil sector has dropped sharply in many producing countries, including the United States. The dynamic adjustment to low oil prices may, however, be different this time around. [D]Oil prices are expected to remain lower for longer. The advent of new technologies has added about 4.2 million barrels per day to the crude oil market, contributing to a global over-supply. In addition, other factors are putting downward pressure on oil prices: change in the strategies behavior of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, the projected increase in Iranian exports, the scaling- down of global demand (especially from emerging markets), the long-term drop in petroleum consumption in the United States, and some displacement of oil by substitutes. These likely persistent forces, like the growth of shale (页岩)oil, point to a “low for long” scenario. Futures markets, which show only a modest recovery of prices to around 60 a barrel by 2019, support this view. [E]Natural gas and coal—alsofossil fuels—have similarly seen price declines that look to be long-lived. Coal and natural gas are mainly used for electricity generation, whereas oil is used mostly to power transportation, yet the prices of all these energy sources are linked. The North American shale gas boom has resulted in record low prices there. The recent discovery of the giant Zohr gas field off the Egyptian coast will eventually have impact on pricing in the Mediterranean region and Europe, and there is significant development potential in many other places, notably Argentina. Coal prices also are low, owing to over-supply and the scaling-down of demand, especially from China, which bums half of the world’s coal. [F]Technological innovations have unleashed the power of renewables such as wind, hydro, solar, and geothermal (地热).Even Africa and the Middle East,home to economies that are heavily dependent on fossil fuel exports, have enormous potential to develop renewables. For example, the United Arab Emirates has endorsed an ambitious target to draw 24% of its primary energy consumption from renewable sources by 2021. [G]Progress in the development of renewables could be fragile, however, if fossil fuel prices remain low for long. Renewables account for only a small share of global primary energy consumption, which is still dominated by fossil fuels—30% each for coal and oil, 25% for natural gas. But renewable energy will have to displace fossil fuels to a much greater extent in the future to avoid unacceptable climate risks. [H]Unfortunately, the current low prices for oil, gas, and coal may provide little incentive for research to find even cheaper substitutes for those fuels. There is strong evidence that both innovation and adoption of cleaner technology are strongly encouraged by higher fossil fuel prices. The same is true for new technologies for alleviating fossil fuel emissions. [I]The current low fossil fuel price environment will thus certainly delay the energy transition from fossil fuel to clean energy sources. Unless renewables become cheap enough that substantial carbon deposits are left underground for a very long time, if not forever, the planet will like be exposed to potentially catastrophic climate risks. [J]Some climate impacts may already be discernible. For example, the United Nations Children Fund estimates that some 11 million children in Africa face hunger, disease, and water shortage as a result of the strongest El Nino (厄尔尼诺)weather phenomenon in decades. Many scientists believe that El Nino events, caused by warming in the Pacific,are becoming more intense as a result of climate change. [K]Nations from around the world have gathered in Paris for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, with the goal of a universal and potentially legally-binding agreement reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We need very broad participation to fully address global tragedy that results when countries fail to take into account the negative impact of their carbon emissions on the rest of the world. Moreover, non-participation by nations, if sufficiently widespread, can undermine the political will of participating countries to act. [L]The nations participating at COP 21 are focusing on quantitative emissions-reduction commitments. Economic reasoning shows that the least expensive way for each country is to put a price on carbon emissions. The reason is that when carbon is priced, those emissions reductions that are least costly to implement will happen first. The International Monetary Fund calculates that countries can generate substantial fiscal revenues by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and levying carbon charges that capture the domestic damage caused by emissions. A tax on upstream carbon sources is one easy way to put a price on carbon emissions, although some countries may wish to use other methods, such as emissions trading schemes. In order to maximize global welfare, every country’s carbon pricing should reflect not only the purely domestic damage from emissions, but also the damage to foreign countries. [M]Setting the right carbon price will therefore efficiently align the costs paid by carbon users with the true social opportunity cost of using carbon. By raising relative demand for clean energy sources,a carbon price would also help align the market return to clean-energy innovation with its social return, spurring the refinement of existing technologies and the development of new ones. And it would raise the demand for technologies such as carbon capture and storage, spurring their further development. If not corrected by the appropriate carbon price, low fossil fuel prices are not accurately signaling to markets the true social profitability of clean energy. While alternative estimates of the damage from carbon emissions differ, and it’s especially hard to reckon the likely costs of possible catastrophic climate events, most estimates suggest substantial negative effects. [N]Direct subsidies to research and development have been adopted by some governments but are a poor substitute for a carbon price; they do only part of the job, leaving in place market incentives to overuse fossil fuels and thereby add to the stock of atmospheric greenhouse gases without regard to the collateral (附带的)costs. [O]The hope is that the success of COP 21 opens the door to future international agreement on carbon prices. Agreement on an international carbon-price floor would be a good starting point in that process. Failure to address comprehensively the problem of greenhouse gas emissions, however, exposes all generations, present and future, to incalculable risks. 注意:此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。(分数:71.00)(1).A number of factors are driving down the global oil prices not just for now but in the foreseeable future. (分数:7.10) A. B. C. D. √ E. F. G. H. I. J. K. L. M. N. O.

Comprehensive Practice Pair work : Work with your partner to complete the following dialogue , using the words and phrases in brackets . Make changes or additions where necessary . Model : Reporter : Hello , Prof.Taft , I'm a reporter with Germany's Bild newspaper . Would you please talk about the story of your photograph appearing on a Nazi magazine ?Prof.Tait : Sure . Recently I _ presented _ the magazine to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Me morial . Its front cover carries a photograph of me as a little baby . You might find _it remarkable _ that my photograph was chosen as the image of the ideal Aryan baby when anti-Semitism _was surging _in Berlin . ( remarkable , present , surge ) Reporter : Yes , indeed . Prof.Taff , because we know , you have parents _____ ( Jewish origin ) Prof.Taft : You're right . My mom ______ in horror at the news about me appearing on the Nazi magazine , because people ______ the baby was Jewish . So she went back to the photographer to ask what had happened . He explained that there was ______ to pick the most beautiful Aryan baby and he had deliberately ( 故意地 ) ______ . ( submit , find out , exclaim , contest ) Reporter : Did the Nazis discover who you were and did they find you ?Prof.Taft : Fortunately , no , for my family ____ Germany in 1938 . We moved first to Latvia , then _____ Paris until the Nazis _____ . We had a visa problem with the U.S. , so we stayed in Cuba before we finally came to settle in the U.S. in 1949 . ( take control of , flee , take refuge in ) Reporter : Your story sounds horrible . Are you angry at the photographer ?Prof.Taft : No , actually as I reflect on my personal story , I'm thankful that this _____ photographer did what he did . I'm also pleased that I've added my story to the ______ revelations about how ridiculous ( 荒唐 ) the Nazis were . I do hope I've _____ the message to the world in my way . ( numerous , deliver , outstanding )

The findings of the study, which involved analyzing data from thousands of participants over a period of several years, suggest that regular exercise not only improves physical health but also has a positive impact on mental well-being.A. The study analyzed data from many participants.B. Regular exercise has multiple benefits.C. The study lasted for several years.D. Mental well-being is important.

Directions : For this part you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay . As cell phones become so common in our life there has been debate as to whether colleges should ban cell phones in classes . Write an essay to explain your position about the issue . You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words

Directions: Fill in the blanks in the following passage by selecting suitable words from the word bank. Each word can be used only once.Questions 1 to 10 are based on the following passage.A calculateB. assertsC. distinguishD. literallyE. securedF. broadenedG performsH. insightI. accumulateJ. insertsK. justL. extremelyM. boundN. perceiveO. sight Why study humanities? The 19-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill1. ______ that, instead of places for pure learning, universities ought to be places that 2. ______ encourage students to become good human beings. This assertion may sound out-of-date since most college students today are 3. ______ ，to learn knowledge and special skills. According to Mil, human beings are 4. ______，human beings before they are lawyers or doctors. Mill further explains that a strong liberal arts curriculum will make lawyers or doctors see differently with 5. ______ horizons. But can someone be a successful lawyer of great inner 6. ______，without studying the humanities? Yes. Can someone succeed in business or medicine without the liberal arts? Sure. But we ought to 7. ______ the goodness of the operation from the goodness of the operator. How well someone 8. ______ in a specialized field is not necessary to do with how well a person behaves as a good human being. The study of the humanities, therefore prepares students for their future philosophic habit of mind—something 9. ______ ，different from an Internet and studying the humanities enables us to 10. ______ slow, on-going knowledge to respond to the basic questions of our age，a meaning of human betterment.