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Cities "Worse to Live in Than 20 Years Ago"One thousand people were surveyed about a range of issues which affect cities, and the remarkable findings show that life in today’s mega-cities is so stressful that at least two-thirds of those currently living in big cities would like to relocate to the countryside or a small town. The stress of the getting from A to B in big cities is at the top of the list of problems. For many people, the daily commute (通勤) to work is a source of frustration. 40% of the people in the survey have suffered from road rage while stuck in traffic on the way to work. The cost of public transport is also a serious problem. Many people think the price of underground and bus travel is too high and that they have to devote more than 10% of their salary to transport costs. The general cost of living in cities is another problem. The high property prices in most big cities put buying a property out of reach of most first-time buyers. Many young people are priced out of the housing market, and have to take in lodgers to make ends meet, or rent over-priced flats miles away from the city centre. In London, for instance, the price of buying even a one-bedroom flat is so prohibitive that many have given up even considering putting money aside for a deposit. Another issue facing people who live in cities is rising crime. Crime rates have rocketed in many big cities, and many say there are several dangerous no-go areas in their city. Fear of crime is on the increase— street crimes, such as mugging and assault, are now very common—and many are afraid of going out at night alone. Many were also concerned by the lack of green spaces and play facilities for children. Most major conurbations (有卫星城的大都市) surveyed have a far smaller number of parks and gardens than a generation ago. Planning permission seems to have been given for an ever-greater number of supermarkets, office developments and apartments on sites where there were previously green spaces. Many of the respondents in the survey said they felt stressed and suffocated (窒息) in the city, a problem which is compounded by pollution. And finally, the majority of people in the survey were fed up with the constant noise pollution—the roar of traffic, the sound of loud music blaring (发刺耳声) out of a neighbour’s window, and the constant sound of activity. It is not surprising, then, that the levels of stress-related illnesses among people who live in cities are higher than ever before. Big cities, once a mecca (朝拜的地方) for ambitious people seeking fame and fortune, are now less and less popular among people of all ages. Perhaps the 21 st century is set to be the century of the small town and the countryside. London has had some success in reducing pollution.
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What’s Killing the Bats First it was bees. Now it is bats. Biologists in America are working hard to discover the cause of the mysterious deaths of tens of thousands of bats in the northeastern part of the country. Most of the bats affected are the common little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), but other species, such as the long-eared bat, the smallfooted bat, the eastern pipistrelle, and the Indiana bat have also been affected. In some caves, more than 90 percent of the bat populations have died. One possibility is disease. A white fungus (真菌) known as fusarium has been found on the noses of both living and dead bats. However, scientists don’t know if the fungus is the primary cause of death, a secondary cause of death, or not a cause at all, but the result of some other conditions. Another possible cause is a lack of food. For example, bats typically eat a large number of moths (蛾), and in some states such as New York, the number of moths has been declining in recent years. If bats can’t eat enough food, they starve to death. Still other scientists believe that global warming is to blame. Warmer temperatures in recent years have been waking up hibernating (冬眠) bats earlier than usual. If bats break their hibernation at the wrong time, they might not find their expected food sources. The weather might also turn cold again and weaken or kill the bats. Scientists might not agree on the causes of the bat die-off, but they do agree on the consequences. Bats are an important predator of mosquitoes; a single brown bat can eat 1,000 or more insects in an hour. They also eat beetles and other insects that damage plant crops. If there aren’t enough bats, damage will be great from the insects they eat. While bats live a long time for their size—the little brown bat can live for more than 30 years—a female bat has only one baby per year, so bat populations grow slowly. Many bat species in the United States are already protected or endangered. How can you help Do not disturb sleeping or nesting bats. If you discover bats that seem to be sick or that are dead, contact your local Fish & Wildlife Department with the details. However, be careful not to touch the animals. The "moths" in Paragraph 3 are taken as an example of ______.
Is There a Way to Keep Britain’s Economy Growing In today’s knowledge economy, nations survive on the things they do best. The Japanese design electronics while the Germans export engineering techniques. The French serve the best food and Americans make computers. Britain specializes in the gift of talking. The nation doesn’t manufacture much of anything. But it has lawyers, stylists and business consultants who earn their living from talk, talk and more talk. The World Foundation think tank says the UK’s four iconic (标志性的) jobs today are not scientists, engineers, teachers and nurses. Instead, they’re hairdressers, celebrities, management consultants and managers. But can all this talking keep the British economy going The British government thinks it can. Although the country’s trade deficit was more than ￡60 billion in 2006, UK’s largest in the postwar period, officials say the country has nothing to worry about. In fact, Britain does have a world-class pharmaceutical (制药的) industry, and it still makes a small sum from selling arms abroad. It also trades services— accountancy, insurance, banking and advertising. The government believes Britain is on the cutting edge of the knowledge economy. After all, the country of Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a literary tradition of which to be proud. Rock ’n’ roll is an English language medium, and there are billions to be made by their cutting-edge bands. In other words, the creative economy has plenty of strength to carry the British economy. However, creative industries account for only about 4 percent of UK’s exports of goods and services. The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts. The report shows only 38 percent of British companies were engaged in "innovation activities", 3 percentage points below the EU average and well below Germany (61 percent) and Sweden (47 percent). In fact, it might be better to call Britain a "servant" economy—there are at least 4 million people "in service". The majority of the population are employed by the rich to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Many graduates are even doing menial (体力劳动的) jobs for which they do not need a degree. Most employment growth has been, and will continue to be, at the low-skill end of the service sector—in shops, bars, hotels, domestic service and in nursing and care homes. Which of the following is true about the creative industries in Britain
Cities "Worse to Live in Than 20 Years Ago"One thousand people were surveyed about a range of issues which affect cities, and the remarkable findings show that life in today’s mega-cities is so stressful that at least two-thirds of those currently living in big cities would like to relocate to the countryside or a small town. The stress of the getting from A to B in big cities is at the top of the list of problems. For many people, the daily commute (通勤) to work is a source of frustration. 40% of the people in the survey have suffered from road rage while stuck in traffic on the way to work. The cost of public transport is also a serious problem. Many people think the price of underground and bus travel is too high and that they have to devote more than 10% of their salary to transport costs. The general cost of living in cities is another problem. The high property prices in most big cities put buying a property out of reach of most first-time buyers. Many young people are priced out of the housing market, and have to take in lodgers to make ends meet, or rent over-priced flats miles away from the city centre. In London, for instance, the price of buying even a one-bedroom flat is so prohibitive that many have given up even considering putting money aside for a deposit. Another issue facing people who live in cities is rising crime. Crime rates have rocketed in many big cities, and many say there are several dangerous no-go areas in their city. Fear of crime is on the increase— street crimes, such as mugging and assault, are now very common—and many are afraid of going out at night alone. Many were also concerned by the lack of green spaces and play facilities for children. Most major conurbations (有卫星城的大都市) surveyed have a far smaller number of parks and gardens than a generation ago. Planning permission seems to have been given for an ever-greater number of supermarkets, office developments and apartments on sites where there were previously green spaces. Many of the respondents in the survey said they felt stressed and suffocated (窒息) in the city, a problem which is compounded by pollution. And finally, the majority of people in the survey were fed up with the constant noise pollution—the roar of traffic, the sound of loud music blaring (发刺耳声) out of a neighbour’s window, and the constant sound of activity. It is not surprising, then, that the levels of stress-related illnesses among people who live in cities are higher than ever before. Big cities, once a mecca (朝拜的地方) for ambitious people seeking fame and fortune, are now less and less popular among people of all ages. Perhaps the 21 st century is set to be the century of the small town and the countryside. There are fewer green areas in cities than there used to be.
What’s Killing the Bats First it was bees. Now it is bats. Biologists in America are working hard to discover the cause of the mysterious deaths of tens of thousands of bats in the northeastern part of the country. Most of the bats affected are the common little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), but other species, such as the long-eared bat, the smallfooted bat, the eastern pipistrelle, and the Indiana bat have also been affected. In some caves, more than 90 percent of the bat populations have died. One possibility is disease. A white fungus (真菌) known as fusarium has been found on the noses of both living and dead bats. However, scientists don’t know if the fungus is the primary cause of death, a secondary cause of death, or not a cause at all, but the result of some other conditions. Another possible cause is a lack of food. For example, bats typically eat a large number of moths (蛾), and in some states such as New York, the number of moths has been declining in recent years. If bats can’t eat enough food, they starve to death. Still other scientists believe that global warming is to blame. Warmer temperatures in recent years have been waking up hibernating (冬眠) bats earlier than usual. If bats break their hibernation at the wrong time, they might not find their expected food sources. The weather might also turn cold again and weaken or kill the bats. Scientists might not agree on the causes of the bat die-off, but they do agree on the consequences. Bats are an important predator of mosquitoes; a single brown bat can eat 1,000 or more insects in an hour. They also eat beetles and other insects that damage plant crops. If there aren’t enough bats, damage will be great from the insects they eat. While bats live a long time for their size—the little brown bat can live for more than 30 years—a female bat has only one baby per year, so bat populations grow slowly. Many bat species in the United States are already protected or endangered. How can you help Do not disturb sleeping or nesting bats. If you discover bats that seem to be sick or that are dead, contact your local Fish & Wildlife Department with the details. However, be careful not to touch the animals. What does the first sentence in Paragraph 1 mean
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