In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide acts rather like a one-mirror-the glass in the roof of a greenhouse which allows the sun’s rays to enter but prevents the heat from escaping.According to a weather expert’s prediction, the atmosphere will be 3℃ warmer in the year 2050 than it is today, if man continues to burn fuels at the present rate. If this warming up took place, the ice caps in the poles would begin to melt, thus raising sea level several meters and severely flooding coastal cities. Also the increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to great changes in the climate of the northern hemisphere, possibly resulting in an alteration of the earth’s chief food-growing zones.In the past, concern about a man-made warming of the earth has concentrated on the Arctic because the Antarctic is much colder and has a much thicker ice sheet. But the weather experts are now paying more attention to West Antarctic, which may be affected by only a few degrees of warming: in other words, by a warming on the scale that will possibly take place in the next fifty years from the burning of fuels.Satellite pictures show that large areas of Antarcitic ice are already disappearing. The evidence available suggests that a warming takes place. This fits the theory that carbon dioxide warms the earth.However, most of the fuel is burnt in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures seem to falling. Scientists conclude, therefore, that up to now natural influences on the weather have exceeded those caused by man. The question is: Which natural cause has the most effect on the weatherOn possibility is the variable behavior of the sun. Astronomers at one research station have studied the hot spots and "cold" spots (that is, the relatively less hot spots) on the sun. As the sun rotated, every 27.5 days, it presents hotter of "colder" face to the earth, and different aspects to different parts of the earth. This seems to have a considerable effect on the distribution of the earth’s atmospheric pressure, and consequently on wind circulation. The sun is also variable over a long term: its heat output goes up and down in cycles, the latest trend being downward.Scientists are now finding mutual relations between models of solar-weather interactions and the actual climate over many thousands of years, including the last Ice Age. The problem is that the models are predicting that the world should be entering new Ice Age and it is not. One way of solving this theoretical difficulty is to assume a way of thousands of years while the solar effects overcome the inertia (惯性的) of the earth’s climate. If this is right, the warming effect of carbon dioxide might thus be serving a useful counter-balance to the sun’s diminishing heat. If the assumption about the delay of a new Ice Age is correct, ().
A. the best way to overcome the cooling effect would be to burn more fuels
B. ice would soon cover the northern hemisphere
C. the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could warm up the earth even more quickly
D. the greenhouse effect could work to the advantage of the earth
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Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population, there are several other influences which also affect it. The age distribution of the total population has a very (21) effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high (22) of very young people or of (23) too old to work, then the available workforce would be lower than (24) there were an (25) spread age distribution. If the population grows raidly (26) natural increase, i.e., the number of births greatly (27) the number of deaths, then as a total population increases the proportion of the workforce (28) .Sometimes a population is described as aging, (29) means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly, and as people retire (30) the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to (31) those who are leaving it. The population is top heavy with older people. So the (32) of the population in the workforce declines when there is (33) a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate.The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring (34) a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a (35) level of social services to the retired group. If the (36) are to be cared (37) in special homes or hotels, finance must be (38) for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small relative (39) the total population, then the government tax receipts are relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be (40) more heavily. 39().
A. about
B. to
C. of
D. for
Psychologists say the one factor that differentiates people who are creative from those who aren’t is belief-creative people believe they are creative. To be creative, you simply have to believe and act as if you are. Once you believe you are creative, you begin to find ideas and to imagine all kinds of probable and improbable solutions.Here are a few techniques to help you get started looking for ideas you may already have in your mind.Play a different role. Suppose you want to improve your company’s training program. Play the role of another person. Write, from the perspective of that role, what changes the person would make. Record any interesting thoughts or new ideas.Randomly pick something and compare it with your problem. Open a dictionary and randomly, without looking, pick a word. Force yourself to make a comparison between the problem and the word.Suppose you are having a problem with a manager and you randomly pick the word "pencil". You might list the characteristics of the pencil and determine how those characteristics are like your problem.Imagine you have a magic wand (魔杖). Consider what changes or actions you will use the wand to create, especially those that wouldn’t normally be possible. After letting your imagination run, ask yourself what specific features of those wishes particularly appeal to you. Think of some feasible changes of actions that embody some of those specific features.Think outrageously. The more incredible and divergent from conventional thinking an idea is, the greater the possibilities for new twists. A frozen-fish processor used this technique. A line of his frozen fish tasted bland and boring. He tried everything to improve the taste, including keeping the fish alive in holding tanks until he put a predator (食肉动物) in the holding tank with fish. The fish kept moving to escape the predator and they retained their vitality and flavor.Challenge assumptions. Reserve the assumptions you make about problems. List the assumptions and write the opposite. Henry Ford challenged the practice of having workers to go where building materials were kept. In order to build cars, by creating a system that brought the materials to the workers instead. With this reversal, the assembly line was born.Be an artist. Write a poem about your job. Poetry helps give a voice to your wildest imagination, which may lead to new ideas.Try the above methods and test if your creativity might be somewhat improved. What does one have to be if he wants to make himself creative according to the author()
A. He should try to be as creative as possible.
B. He may set up a problem and then try to conceive all the possible solutions to it.
C. He should study all the techniques mentioned in the passage and try to use them.
D. He should play a different role from the one he plays now.
Most people are familiar with comic books and comic strips. The comic strip is usually found in daily newspapers. It is made up of three or four picture panels telling a story with one or more characters. Some comic strips tell a different incident every day. In other comic strips the story continues from day to day until it is finished, and then a new story begins with the same main characters.Comic books are extensions of comic strips into magazines. Each magazine is about one set of characters, and the pictures tell a complete story.Generally comic books are printed in color. The words are prined in balloons over a speaker’s head to indicate the person speaking. A few sentences may be used to bridge a gap in a story, but most of the plot is carried by direct conversation and by action in the pictures. Comic book covers are made of glossy paper, and there are generally the same number of pages- usually 32 - in each book in a particular series. More than one story is included in each issue, and there is usually some advertising.Comic books are published regularly, that is to say, every month, every 2 months, or once a year. Because of their regular publication, they are often called comic magazines. Approximately 200 different titles are published. The exact number varies from month to month. Some people estimate that close to 500,000,000 copies of comic books are sold each year.Comic strips are not all-humorous stories. The Comics Magazine Association of American lists these types of comic books: adventure, animal, biography, detective, fantasy, mystery, history, humor, military, religion, romance, satire, science-fiction, teenage, "kiddie", and western. Some types, such as adventure and humor, sell better, so there are more of them. However, the popularity of comic books has led many kinds of groups to use them to tell a story. There are comic strips in some Sunday school papers, the army uses the comic-strip technique in training soldiers, and many companies use comic books to tell their story behind a product or the history of their company.Comic strips began in newspapers as early as the 1870’s. Comic books similar to those published today first appeared in the 1930’s and were collections of comic strips previously printed. The next step in comic book history was the writing of stories for comic book use alone, using a single set of characters in two or three plots.The development of animated cartoon movies led to comic books about the same characters, such as Mickey Mouse. Sometimes a comic book retells a plot from a movie or a popular old book, in at least one case-Superman-the comic strip and comic book character led to television and movie versions. Television shows that are popular with young people are often made the subject of comic books because the publishers know they will quickly find buyers.The comic-book form is sometimes used to teach as well as entertain. Comic books are used to help explain complicated subjects. They are also useful tools to civil organizations in public information campaigns. A reference list of free and inexpensive materials will include many comic books such as those published by General Electric, Goodrich Company, or Swift and Company. Such material often contains valuable information. However, it is wise to keep in mind the source of the material if it is to be used in arguments. For instance, material from the American Railway Association will not tell about similar services performed by the national trucking industry.Telling a story through pictures will probably continue to be popular for some time to come. However, comic books have changed a great deal since they first began. Other changes will very likely come in the future. A comic book is not ().
A. published regularly
B. a 32 paged book
C. all full of humorous stories
D. printed in color
Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population, there are several other influences which also affect it. The age distribution of the total population has a very (21) effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high (22) of very young people or of (23) too old to work, then the available workforce would be lower than (24) there were an (25) spread age distribution. If the population grows raidly (26) natural increase, i.e., the number of births greatly (27) the number of deaths, then as a total population increases the proportion of the workforce (28) .Sometimes a population is described as aging, (29) means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly, and as people retire (30) the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to (31) those who are leaving it. The population is top heavy with older people. So the (32) of the population in the workforce declines when there is (33) a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate.The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring (34) a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a (35) level of social services to the retired group. If the (36) are to be cared (37) in special homes or hotels, finance must be (38) for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small relative (39) the total population, then the government tax receipts are relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be (40) more heavily. 27().
A. sustains
B. exceeds
C. overwhelms
D. overthrows