Professional Documents
Culture Documents
讲义
讲义
武哥工作室
2020 年 11 月
CATTI 二三级笔译冲刺班
公众微信(Brotherfive 教翻译)
武峰 郝运慧 陈茂春(编)
2020 年 11 月 02 日-11 月 11 日
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课程安排:
11 月 02 日晚 19:30-21:30 翻译实务英译汉(翻译方法的回顾+英译汉练习一)武哥
11 月 03 日晚 19:30-21:30 翻译实务英译汉(英译汉练习一、二)武哥
11 月 04 日晚 19:30-21:30 翻译实务英译汉(英译汉练习二)武哥
11 月 05 日晚 19:30-21:30 综合能力(阅读理解部分)大春老师
11 月 06 日晚 19:30-21:30 综合能力(选择题部分)郝教授
11 月 07 日晚 19:30-21:30 综合能力(选择题部分)郝教授
11 月 08 日晚 19:30-21:30 翻译实务汉译英(汉译英练习一)武哥
11 月 09 日晚 19:30-21:30 综合能力(完形填空部分)大春老师
11 月 10 日晚 19:30-21:30 翻译实务汉译英(汉译英练习二)武哥
11 月 11 日晚 21:00-22:00 班级内语音直播答疑 武哥
课程要求:(认真阅读)
1. 尽量不要迟到,请认真听讲,凡是有不明白的地方,课间可以在公共屏幕上提问,老师
会按照一定比例回答。
2. 所有实务练习希望大家在课前花三小时做完(单独英译汉不超过两小时,汉译英练习不
超过一小时),不能用电子词典,可以使用纸质字典,类似于陆谷孙的英汉和惠宇的汉
英。综合练习控制在两小时内。不要上网找答案,这样没有意义,那还不如不报班,一
定要自己做。
3. 本课程的群就是 CCTALK 的课程群,不再会建立别的新群。
4. 本班主要为今年十一月份的二笔和三笔考试服务,当然下半年考 MTI 的同学可以听,为
明年 CATTI 考试打基础的也可以听。若没有上过基础班的同学可以考虑 2021 年寒假到
北京上面授班,2021 年寒假第三期“青年翻译成才计划”即将上线,全新内容,续写
经典… …
5. 本课程所有讲义都会在开课前发放,PPT 的内容放第一节课关于翻译方法的回顾,其他
的段落翻译及综合的练习都在这份 word 文档中,PPT 内会增补内容和答案,请仔细听
课,PPT 不再单独发放。
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第一讲 翻译方法回顾
1.英译汉的主要步骤:
2.汉译英的主要步骤:
3.英译汉时,我们所遇到的句子类型有四种,
句子类型
种类 解决方法
4.中英文的三大差异。
5.英汉互译中的四大规律。
第一、
第二、
第三、
第四、
6.八种译法。
第一、
第二、
第三、
第四、
第五、
第六、
第七、
第八、
先来一个汉译英的段子试试:
(以下内容在 PPT 中,请仔细查看!!!)
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英译汉练习一
2019 年 11 月英语三级笔译实务真题
In today’s interconnected world, culture's power to transform societies is clear. Its
diverse manifestations – from our cherished historic monuments and museums to
traditional practices and contemporary art forms – enrich our everyday lives in
countless ways. Heritage constitutes a source of identity and cohesion for
communities disrupted by bewildering change and economic instability. Creativity
contributes to building open, inclusive and pluralistic societies. Both heritage and
creativity lay the foundations for vibrant, innovative and prosperous knowledge
societies.
Culture is who we are and what shapes our identity. No development can be
sustainable without including culture. UNESCO ensures that the role of culture is
recognized through a majority of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
including those focusing on quality education, sustainable cities, the environment,
economic growth, sustainable consumption and production patterns, peaceful and
inclusive societies, gender equality and food security.
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To ensure that culture takes its rightful place in development strategies and
processes, UNESCO has adopted a three-pronged approach: it spearheads worldwide
advocacy for culture and development, while engaging with the international
community to set clear policies and legal frameworks and working on the ground to
support governments and local stakeholders to safeguard heritage, strengthen
creative industries and encourage cultural pluralism.
Today, creativity is emerging as one of the most promising avenues for changing how
we see cities. Whether by revitalizing the local economy, rethinking transport or
housing policies, reclaiming urban spaces, or opening up new horizons for young
people, creativity is one of the driving forces behind urban policies and initiatives.
Cities worldwide are focusing their attention on the cultural and creative industries
as an inspiration for their future.
This vision is promoted by elected representatives and city policy-makers, who see it
as a strategic lever for innovation when it comes to tackling contemporary urban
issues, whether on an economic, social or environmental front. More importantly,
however, it is a vision shared by professionals and citizens, who are taking action in
their own neighborhoods and communities to build more sustainable and more
human cities.
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This vision of creative urban governance is the driving force behind the UNESCO
Creative Cities Programme and Network. Since its creation in 2004, the Network has
established itself as a strategic platform for promoting and sharing this new
approach to sustainable cities. Through its standard-setting and operational actions,
UNESCO has paved the way for demonstrating the essential role of creativity in
urban sustainability, assisting national and local authorities and advocating this
vision at an international level.
Culture and creativity play a key role in sustainable urban development. They
contribute to diversifying the economy and generating jobs, but they also enhance
the quality of life of citizens by participating to a city’s social structure and cultural
diversity.
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The scenario will see a very realistic but nonetheless fictional disaster, in which an
asteroid will be headed for Earth. The scenario has been developed by one of the
NASA organisations tasked with studying such near-earth objects, or NEOs.
It will bring together not just NASA but other international organisations to test out
their response. Such exercises are used across the disaster response sector to ensure
that the real responses are as fast and effective as possible.
NASA and other organisations have spent more than 20 years scanning the skies for
NEOs, looking for asteroids and comets that come within 30 million miles of Earth s
orbit. Groups such as NASA s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) as well
as the European Space Agency s Space Situational Awareness-NEO Segment and the
International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) have been working to better
communicate the danger that such objects pose to Earth.
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There is no strict script in such an exercise. Instead, it will be used to test out how
NEO observers, space agency officials, emergency managers, decision makers and
citizens would respond to the threat of an impact. Those taking part will discuss
possible preparations: how they would explore the asteroid, work out the best ways
of deflecting it and dealing with its impact effects.
NASA has already participated in such exercises, working on some with the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Those exercises brought representatives
from a variety of different federal agencies, including the departments of Defense
and State.
Previous exercises showed that the focus of emergency management officials was
not on scientific details. Instead, they just want to know when, where and how an
asteroid will hit the Earth, as well as what sort of damage is done, according to FEMA.
NASA continues to work on that science, however, in an attempt to better improve
humanity s ability to predict the exact location and effects of any impact.
“NASA and FEMA will continue to conduct periodic exercises with a continually
widening community of US government agencies and international partners,” said
Leviticus Lewis of the Response Operations Division for FEMA. “They are a great way
for us to learn how to work together and meet each other s needs and the objectives
laid out in the White House National NEO Preparedness Action Plan.”
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第七讲 汉译英练习一
2019 年 11 月英语三级笔译实务真题
作为中国浙江省省会,杭州是中国历史文化名城。距今约 5300 年的“良渚文化”
遗址(位于杭州余杭区)是中华文明发祥地之一。杭州素以美丽的山水著称。中
国古代有句谚语,
“上有天堂,下有苏杭”,表达了古往今来人们对于这座美丽城
市的由衷喜爱。位于杭州西南的西湖,以其秀丽的湖光山色和众多名胜古迹而成
为闻名中外的旅游胜地。2011 年被正式列入《世界遗产名录》。此外,气势浩荡
的钱塘江大潮,每年吸引无数游客。
杭州拥有丰富的历史文化遗迹。南起杭州、北到北京的京杭大运河始建于 1631
年,全长约 1797 公里,是世界上最长、最古老的人工水道。2014 年 6 月 22 日,
京杭大运河正式列入《世界遗产名录》。在世界,杭州颇具名声。早在 13 世纪,
意大利著名旅行家马可·波罗赞叹杭州为“世界上最美丽之城”。
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第九讲 汉译英练习二
2019 年 11 月英语二级笔译实务真题
预计到 2020 年,新中国成立 70 年来,中国的人权事业取得了举世瞩目的成就。
1949 年新中国成立前,中国的人均 GDP 仅达 27 美元,人均预期寿命 35 岁,人
均受教育年限不到一年,约 90%的中国人民是文盲;战乱仍频,人民生活在苦难
之中。现在,中国已成为世界第二大经济体,人民安居乐业,人均预期寿命由
35 岁增长到 77 岁。
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中国已基本建立起保障公民权利的法律和政策体系。中国把“尊重和保障人权”
写进了宪法,社会和谐发展的水平得到了显著提升。中国支持保障公民生存权和
发展权,反对忽视经济、社会、文化权利的趋势,主张促进这两种权利的平衡保
障,以发展促人权、消除贫困,中国的人权原则已得到国际的广泛支持。
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In this part, there are 20 incomplete sentences. Below each sentence, there are 4
choices marked by letters A, B, C and D respectively. Choose the word which best
completes each sentence. There is only ONE right answer.
1. They fought their enemies with any weapons they could get their hands .
A. on B. to C. for D. at
2. The fact that they reacted so differently was a reflection of their different .
3. In this new world the most dangerous conflicts will not be between social classes
or other economically defined groups, but between peoples belonging to different
cultural _____.
4. Key _____ has been broadcast live on television and radio to help the city keep
abreast of the proceedings and to show the wheels of justice turning.
5. Certain religious and political groups felt novels had the power to make immoral
characters so interesting that younger readers would _____ with them easily.
7. Migrants were among the large mob blamed for numerous sexual assaults on
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women on New Year’s Eve in Cologne, according to an _____ police report leaked to
German media.
9. The TV programs did take the time to viewers on how to donate to the
flood victims via a website.
11. As a of his pioneering work in the late 1930s, Earl Hines has been called
the father of the modem jazz piano.
12. Our knowledge of dinosaurs is wholly from the bones which have been
found here and there.
13. In our school, English and math are compulsory while Western literature and the
second language are______.
14. Stressful environments lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as poor eating habits
which in _______ increase the risk of heart disease.
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16. A wife likes to help her husband in his career, and she is ____ when not
appreciated.
17. His achievements in poetry and criticism, as well as in historical and other forms
of scholarship, have been ________impressive.
18. Computer will become more widespread as more schools add computer
classes to their curriculums.
19. Bears primarily are _____ creatures, and they will typically ignore humans unless
20. In the face of the sharp drop in sales, the marketing manager passed it with a
shrug, saying that it was _____ but seasonal decline.
21. I _________ with rage at his offensive remarks, finding it meaningless to argue
with such a rude man.
22. It is imperative that all the accounts of the Property Management Company
should be made _________ to all the owners.
23. After having been trapped underneath the mine for three consecutive days, the
miners became very weak from lack of _________.
24. When being blamed for making trouble in class, the student let out a rude sigh
by way of _________.
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26. He _________ his small shop into a supermarket empire and became a
celebrated entrepreneur of the world.
27. She has lived in a _________ for more than 20 years since her husband was killed
in an air crash.
28. Emma used to be a very shy girl, but two years of living abroad has completely
_________ her.
29. United States citizens are now enjoying better dental health, as shown by the
declining _________ of tooth decay.
30. However much the directors disagree with each other, they always present a
_________ front to the other companies.
31. It might be a good idea if educators could make knowledge about environmental
protection an important part of the ______ school curricula.
33. Hoping to ______ the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt
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34. The linguist discovered striking similarities between a nearly ______ language
spoken in central Siberia and various languages spoken by native Americans.
35. John Smith hoped that the committee would not recommend a course of action
that would ______ an already bad situation in the workplace.
36. To win an election, a candidate needs to tour at least a third of the 600 villages
that make up an average parliamentary _________.
38. Winston Churchill found _________ in painting in 1921 when the death of his
mother was followed by the loss of his beloved three-year-old daughter.
39. When living in England, people should be aware that English people are, by
temperament, often _________ and may be unwilling to start a conversation.
40. According to the latest survey, the majority of people who keep _________ to
New Scientist are mainly young men who are ready to keep abreast of advances in
science and technology.
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This part consists of 20 sentences. In each of them one word is underlined, and
below each sentence, there are 4 choices marked by letters A, B, C and D
respectively. Choose the word that can replace the underlined part without causing
any grammatical error or changing the basic meaning of the sentence.
1. Some experts think it is rather pernicious to inculcate into a child a view of the
world which includes supernaturalism.
4. It is precisely her perceived cynicism and duplicity as a politician that drive her
unfavorable rating.
6. The expense of moving a family to the frontier was too difficult for many, and
the cost of tools, a wagon, a well, fencing, and of building the simplest house, might
come to US$1,000 - a formidable barrier.
7. Because the droplets or ice crystals in clouds are exceedingly small, the effect of
gravity on them is minute.
9. This century, the work of cognitive psychologists has illuminated the subtle
forms of daily learning on which intellectual progress depends.
10. There were two widely divergent influences on the early development of
statistical methods.
11. There are still serious constitutional impediments to the prosecution of senior
officials. That is why no politician has ever been convicted of corruption.
12. This book comes as a revelation to one who sought to understand the works of
the famous Chinese writer Lao She.
13. When the attack began, the loud noise of explosions made people scurry to seek
cover.
14. After the devastating disaster, some people started to spend prodigiously on
entertainment, which was considered a typical response to traumatic experiences.
15. Experts are debating whether these happenings were really harbingers of an
imminent disaster, or simply enigmatic tales from the locals who have rarely
experienced an earthquake.
17. Perhaps what enchants most fans of all ages and from all regions about cartoons
is their adolescent exuberance, their unique glorification of the dreams and their
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18. The protesters oppose building a high-rise in their neighborhood, stating that it
will stand too close to their apartments, obscure the sunlight and severely diminish
their living standards.
19. Profits have burgeoned for the Internet-based retail business, driving many
family-owned stores out of business.
20. When the policemen started to throw tear gas cans in an effort to disperse the
crowds, some of the demonstrators retaliated by throwing rocks.
21. Most surprising is that she was such a prolific writer even at an early age.
22. The managers got in quite a brawl over the decision for a new branch office.
23. Pollutants weaken our normal defense system so that we are more prone to
24. The general manager demanded the job be accomplished before the National
Day.
25. The students will be notified regarding the date of the entrance examinations.
26. The secretary is very competent, and she can finish writing all these letters
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27. He claims that advertising today tends to portray women in traditional roles
28. I can't understand how he can feel that his colleagues are always ready to
denounce him.
29. We have done all we could, and our cherished project is at the mercy of our new
CEO.
30. Financial consultants acknowledge that the value of common stock is inherently
changeable.
31. The merit of a sales tax is that it decreases government reliance on income
taxes.
32. Scientists do not know why this animal became extinct. But some theories
postulate that changes in geography, climate and sea levels were held responsible.
33. Whether the giant panda belongs to the bear or raccoon families was a matter of
34. The undulating waves of the sea are generated by three natural causes: wind,
earth tremors, and the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun.
35. There is only one difference between a young man and an old one: the young
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man has a glorious future before him and the old one has a splendid future behind
him, and maybe that is where the difference lies.
36. Their belief in redistribution and central planning reveals a strong urge to stifle
opportunities and a mistrust of individual empowerment.
37. Because the progress of a particular kind is actually taking place around us and is
becoming more and more manifest, the idea of progress prevails in the modern
world.
38. A young man sees a sunset and, unable to understand or to express the emotion
that it rouses in him, concludes that it must be the gateway to a world that lies
beyond.
39. Our knowledge of the oceans a hundred years ago was confined to the
two-dimensional shape of the sea surface and the hazards of navigation in depth of
the shallow water close to the land.
40. Parents are often upset when their children praise the homes of their friends and
regard it as a slur against their own things, and are foolish enough to let the
adolescents see that they are annoyed.
In each of them there is an underlined part that indicates a grammatical error, and
below each, there are 4 choices marked by letters A, B, C and D respectively. Choose
the word or phrase that can replace the underlined part so that the error is correct.
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41. Chinese people lived together in places of foreign countries developed into China
towns.
42. It is a market which sales value might be more than 10 billion RMB yuan a year.
A. to me a dictionary B. a dictionary to me
C. me to a dictionary D. dictionary to me
44. Even though we had been to her house several times before, we still did not
remember what street it was.
45. We had been in Athens for not more than two days that it became obvious that
we needed a guide.
46. Hiram Revels, the first black member of the U.S. Senate, served as senator from
Mississippi, an office where he was elected in 1870.
47. Man has used metals for centuries in gradual increasing quantities, but it was not
until the Industrial Revolution that they came to be employed in vast quantities.
48. A crowd of curious onlookers gathered on the scene of the accident until the
police ordered that they dispersed.
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49. As much as we wish him prosperous, we have objections to his ways of obtaining
wealth.
50. It was sold to an Arizona entrepreneur, London Bridge was then rebuilt as part of
a tourist attraction.
51. The president’s tone of voice was so much that the students knew that the
university authorities took the incident seriously.
52. The mountains surrounding Los Angeles effectively shield the city from the hot,
dry winds of the Mojave Desert, also preventing the circulation of air.
53. The woman over there is not one but Julia and Mary's mother.
A. nobody for B. nobody but C. none other than D. none other for
54. The salads were prepared carelessly, without enough vegetable in it.
55. The SAT Writing Test has the effect to make students think more about the need
to write effectively.
56. Andy told the interviewer that she couldn’t hardly remember a time when she
didn't want to be a reporter.
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57. A teacher's job is to set a good example for children as well as teaching them the
material they need to learn.
58. During February, the number of students being absent from school was
incredibly high.
59. After studying math all night, receiving an F on the test was shocking to Jimmy.
60. After finishing the marathon in record-breaking time, he was awarded the
Citizen's Outstanding Medal by the city.
61. Some people find extremely difficult to get up early in the morning and do not
seem able to get going very well until afternoon.
62. The name of a book can not be shown by double quotes. But should use italics.
D. name of a book cannot be enclosed with double quotes. But should use
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63. Since the IQ test was created from the point of view of Europeans, people of
other races sometimes scored comparatively higher.
64. Scientists claim that in 50 years’ time, there will be computers that are likely be
even more intelligent than human beings.
65. My assistant has not returned my paper yet, but she promised me to ready it by
next Monday.
66. Due to depute manager Lu Wei has retired, so we need to vote a new powerful
deputy manager.
67. The traffic police stopped three trucks heavily loading with merchandise that
looked as grain bags.
68. Except his broken leg in the earlier part of the season, he might have been in the
England team to play Poland yesterday.
69. Completed his examination of the woman patient, the doctor offered his
judgment of her condition.
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70. An “epigram” is usually defined to be bright or witty thought that is tersely and
ingeniously expressed.
71. Many periods happened in history when remarkable progress was made within a
relatively short span of time.
72. The term “culture shock” was introduced for the first time in 1958 to describe
the anxiety to produce when a person moves to a completely new environment.
73. I like singing. Yes! I sing whenever possible, and my two legs danced
unconsciously when listening music.
74. It is estimated that by 2020 the concentration of carbon dioxide will be nearly
twice and it is now.
75. I study attentively. The more I got concentrated on my lessons, the better I can
learn.
76. However know little the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first
entering a neighborhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding
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77. According to the latest news, a perfume that creator says was inspired by
Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone on sale in Moscow.
78. All of us, myself included, are biased. And thinking that we are objective can
actually make this even worse, creating what call social scientists a “bias blind spot”.
79. This egg mortality was not due to parental ageing was indicated by the similar
trends taking place in pods laid by old or young adults.
A. For this egg mortality was not B. Why this egg mortality was not
C. That this egg mortality was not D. Which this egg mortality was not
80. The idea that the life cut short unfulfilled illogical because lives are measured by
the impressions they leave on the world and by their intensity and virtue.
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Those who fight against alcohol sales say the extra tax comes at a cost. Lee Miller, a
leader of Angelina Citizens for a Better Community, the group vowing to defeat the
measure, points to data from the State of Texas showing that for every US$1 in
revenue the state received from alcohol, US$9 is paid out for expenses like
treatment for alcohol abuse, law enforcement services and motor vehicle crashes.
“This will not benefit us as a community,”
Mr. Miller said. “It costs us more money in expenses and in the lives of our children.”
Mr. Miller, who does not drink, says he is concerned that if the vote passes, his
12-year-old daughter and 14-year old son will have easier access to alcohol.
David Hatch, the political strategist of Angelina County Citizens for Responsible
Business (ACCRB), argues that Mr. Miller’s cost revenue figures paint an inaccurate
picture because they do not consider the additional sales taxes from alcohol
purchases, only revenue from alcohol excise taxes, the bulk of which flow to the
state.
Oscar Dillahunty, a 69-year-old, one-time beer distributor who hired Mr. Hatch and
started ACCRB, has estimated that the county could rack up at least US$15 million in
annual beer sales alone, which would translate into US$225,000 in sales tax revenue
for Lufkin and USS75,000 for the county. He says his estimate is based on sales in a
similar county in Mississippi, where he previously owned a beer distributor.
Many officials in towns and counties that recently went wet say they have not seen
an increase in reported crime or drunken driving. Steven Cagle, the city manager in
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Duncanille, said the town had not devolved into “Drunkenville,” as church groups
claimed it would.
Three police chiefs—David Walker of Fort Payne, Tex, Benny Womack of Albertville,
Ala., and Eddie Phillips of East Ridge, Tenn.—all say they have not seen any increase
in law enforcement problems since alcohol sales began in 2004.
But just as the feared public mayhem wrought by alcohol abuse often fails to
materialize, the economic prosperity is often absent, too. In Albertville, Ala, the Rev.
Willis Kelly, who preaches at Douglas First Baptist Church, says he is still waiting for
the town's financial boom. “The folks that wanted it to go wet campaigned on the
idea that it would bring in money to build a new school,” Mr. Kelly said.“ Last year,
they collected only a little over US$ 100,000 in extra taxes. That wouldn’t even buy
toilet paper.”
Mr. Kelly says that since the vote in June, no new restaurants have opened in
Albertville, a town of 18,000 people 65 miles from Birmingham, and only one of the
two grocery stores in town opted to sell beer and wine.
Jon Howard, director of finance for Albertville, would not confirm Mr. Kelly’s tax
numbers, and Mayor Carl Pruett declined to comment on the town’s economy.
In Lufkin, where in recent years the economy has been surging without the help of
alcohol sales, some citizens just want their town to be a bit more like the rest of the
country and a little less Bible Belt. “This is the 21st century,” said Emnest Rowe, a
70-year-old retired forest worker. “I just want to be able to buy my case of Coors
Light, come home and pop open a cold one.”
8. The “Bible Belt” underlined in the last paragraph refers to an area where
___________.
There is no doubt that all countries of the world are getting older, but they are at
very different stages of the process. The median age in the United States—with half
the population older and half younger—is currently 36. In Ethiopia, it’s 18, owing to
a higher birthrate and a lower life expectancy. In other African countries, it's even
lower. The world’s. oldest country is Germany, where the median age is 45.
The pattern is very clear: The young countries are poor, and the old countries are
rich. So why do people fear population aging? I see two reasons. The first is
psychological: The analogy to individual aging suggests that as populations get older,
they grow frail and lose mental acuity. The second comes from economists and an
indicator called the dependency ratio, which assumes that every adult below age 65
contributes to society, and everybody above 65 is a burden. And the proportion of
people older than 65 is bound to increase.
Yet we also know that the productivity of some individuals is much higher than that
of others, independent of age. Nothing is inherently special about the age of 65.
Many people live longer and do so mostly in good health. The saying “seventy is the
new 60” has a sound scientific basis. Meanwhile, education has been shown to be a
key determinant of better health, longer life and higher productivity (not to mention
open-mindedness). The active aging of better- educated populations can be an asset
rather than a problem.
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what? China's population is much better educated and therefore much more
productive. Furthermore, only a minority of Chinese will retire at age 65. We can
expect most Chinese to make meaningful contributions through work as long as they
are in good health, particularly if they find their jobs interesting and satisfying. Again,
this is largely a question of education. In India today, one out of three adults has
never seen a school from the inside. In China only 8 percent, mostly elderly, have no
schooling. In India, 50 percent of young women have less than a junior secondary
education; in China, the figure is only 15 percent. Knowing how important education
is to economic performance, who would seriously claim that India’s future is brighter
than China’s owing to slower aging?
Population aging is not irrelevant, but it should be seen in conjunction with other
dimensions of human capital, especially. education and health. Here the prospects
are good. In most countries of the world—with the notable exception of the United
States — the young are clearly better educated than the old and may thus
compensate for their smaller numbers through higher productivity.
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15. In the sentence “seventy is the new 60” underlined in Paragraph 4, the author
uses a metaphorical device termed___________.
16. The old countries are booming because the elderly people___________.
17. What is true of the following statements when China is compared with India?
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The economy may be troubled, but one area is thriving: social media. They begin
with Facebook and extend through a dizzying array of companies that barely existed
five years ago: Twitter, LinkedIn, Groupon, Yammer — and the list goes on. These
companies are mostly private, but have attracted the ardent attention of Wall Street
and investors, with Facebook now worth purportedly US$75 billion and Groupon
valued at close to US$25 billion.
There can be little doubt that these companies enrich their founders as well as some
investors. But do they add anything to overall economic activity? While jobs in social
media are growing fast, there were only about 21,000 listings last spring, a tiny
fraction of the 150 million-member U.S. workforce. So do social-media tools enhance
productivity or help us bridge the wealth divide? Or are they simply entertaining
socially, and diverting us when it comes to national economic health?
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The answers are vital, because billions of dollars in investment capital are being
spent on these ventures, and if we are to have a productive future economy, that
capital needs to grow the economic pie — and not just among the elite of Silicon
Valley and Wall Street.
The problem is that these tools are so new that it is extremely difficult to answer the
questions definitively. Flash back nearly 20 years and the same question was being
asked about the first Internet wave. Were Netscape and the Web enhancing our
economy, or were people just spending more time at work checking out ESPN.com?
Official statistics weren’t designed to capture the benefits, and didn’t capture them
until statistics experts at the Federal Reserve, urged on by Alan Greenspan, refined
the way they measured productivity. As a result of these somewhat controversial
innovations, the late 1990s became a period of substantial technology-driven gains.
It is possible that the same gap exists today, that social-media tools are indeed laying
the groundwork for new industries and jobs, but aren't yet registering on the
statistical radar. Many companies believe social media make them more competitive.
Ford and Zappos, for instance, use Twitter to market their products and address
consumer complaints.
One big question is what proportion of that benefit will be captured economically by
consumers vs. corporations. Sure, social media allow people to compare prices and
quality and assess which companies are good to work for and where jobs might be.
They also may enhance education and idea sharing, but the caveat is that the people
who use these tools are the ones with higher education and income to spend on
technology, not the tens of millions whose position in today’s world has eroded so
sharply. According to a recent Pew Foundation study, only 45 percent of adults
making less than US$30,000 have access to broadband,which is an essential
component of using content-rich social media effectively.
And that is the rub. Like so many things these days, social media contribute to
economic bifurcation. Dynamic companies are benefiting from these tools, even if
the gains are tough to nail down in specific figures. Many individuals are benefiting
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too, using LinkedIn to find jobs and Groupon to find deals. But now, the irony is that
social media widen the social divide, making it even harder for the have-nots to
navigate. They allow those with jobs to do them more effectively and companies
that are profiting to profit more. But so far, they have done little to aid those who
are being left behind. They are, in short, business as usual.
21. Which of the following statements about social-media companies is NOT true?
24. The phrase “the same gap” underlined in Paragraph 5 refers to___________.
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B. social media have changed the way the younger generations communicate
28. What is the author’s attitude toward social media’s contribution to national
economic health?
A. social media help create services that turn into jobs, growth, and prosperity
Starting a conversation is as easy for some people as eating and breathing. However,
if you suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD), a room full of strangers can be as
frightening as moving to a foreign country. If the stranger that you are looking to
start a conversation with is an authority figure, this just adds to your anxiety. Here
are helpful tips when trying to start a conversation.
Often the person you are trying to start a conversation______(1) will have some
item of jewelry, an unusual shirt or maybe even a tattoo; something distinctive that
tells a story about the______(2). Items like this give you a starting ______(3) for
conversation.
After you receive a ______(4), the key is to have something else to say that will give
you a ______(5) platform on which to build a conversation and a relationship. You
need to think of a follow-up ______(6) before you start. This is the key to building a
conversation. Follow up with something personal that______ (7) to the other person
and that tells them something interesting about you.
Try the old standby, “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” ______(8) the right
circumstances, this conversation starter can work. If you ______(9) to someone,
“You seem really familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”, it makes it very easy to
start a conversation.
All these help ______(10) you to the person and keep the conversation moving:
What high school did you ______(11)? Did you play an instrument? Where do you
work? I’ve been to that Starbucks.
As you go through the details of the other person's life story, you should feel______
(12) to change subject. Remember, you don't really want to find out if you’ve met
before; you want to get to______(13) each other. One of the best ways to start a
conversation is to make a funny______ (14) about your surroundings. “Hey, doesn't
our instructor look like Harry Potter?” or, “Is the guy in the front row asleep?” The
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Try to invite the other person in on the joke. “Where do you think he keeps his magic
wand, in his briefcase?” or “Do you think he's going to sleep through the whole
class?” This ______(16) of starting a conversation can be risky. Humor is difficult
with an audience whom you don’t know well. However, if you find______ (17) that
shares your sense of humor, chances are that it will be the start of a great friendship.
Remember that any of these tricks is______(18) to fail some of the time. If you don’t
get a positive response from somebody, there are always other people that you can
approach. If you are_____(19), you will find that over time it will get easier to speak
with strangers. As you become more______(20) and at ease you won’t need to rely
on tricks to start conversations.
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