18．Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer．I always encourage such people，but I also explain that there's a big difference between"being a writer"and writing．In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and fame，not the long hours alone at a typewriter．"You've got to want to write，"I say to them，"not want to be a writer．"
The reality is that writing is a lonely，private and poor-paying thing．For every writer kissed by fortune there are thousands more whose wishes are never rewarded．When I left a 20-year job in the U．S．Coast Guard to become a freelance writer，I had no hopes at all．What I did have was a friend who found me my room in a New York apartment building．It didn't even matter that it was cold and had no bathroom．I immediately bought a used typewriter and felt like a real writer．
After a year or so，however，I still hadn't got a break and began to doubt myself．It was so hard to sell a story that I hardly made enough to eat．But I knew I wanted to write．I had dreamed about it for years．I wasn't going to be one of those people who die wondering：What if？I would keep putting my dream to the test even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure．This is the shadow（陰影）land of hope，and anyone with a dream must learn to live there．

33．The passage is meant toB．
A．encourage young people to seek good jobs
B．warn young people of the suffering a successful writer has to experience
C．show young people it's unrealistic for writers to seek wealth and fame
D．advise young people to give up their idea of becoming a writer
34．Why did the author begin to doubt himself after the first year of his writing work？D．
A．He wasn't able to have a rest for a whole year．
B．He wasn't able to produce a single book．
C．He found his dream would never come true．
D．He hadn't seen a change for the better．
35．What can be concluded from the passage？C．
A．Famous writers usually live a poor and lonely life．
B．Writers often find their work interesting and rewarding．
C．The chances for a writer to become successful are small．
D．A writer's success depends on luck rather than on efforts．

17．A new study showed that one of the best ways to control greenhouse gas emissions（溫室氣體排放） is to eat less meat．In fact，the study showed that meat consumption（食用量） in developed countries should be cut by 50% per person before 2050．
Meat production and consumption are expected to rise very quickly to a high level by 2050．That's because the global population is expected to grow from the present 7billion to 9billion．But also，the diets of people in many developing countries are changing．Countries that are developing rapidly are seeing a fast rise in protein consumption，especially red meat．
Dr．Eric Davidson，the president and senior scientist at the Woods Hole Research Center in Massachusetts，said changing the way people eat can have a great effect on greenhouse gas emissions．People in developed countries，he said，already eat much more protein than the daily requirement．
"In the developed world，there is large room for us to manage the frequency with which we eat meat．If there is a growing need for meat，that is going to end up requiring use of more nitrogen fertilizer（肥料） and production of more livestock manure（家畜糞肥），both of which end up resulting in release of various forms of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere，"he said．
Davidson said farmers should be encouraged to use fertilizers and manure in a more careful way．"If we want to meet the greatest goal of making harmful climate change under control，we need to improve the efficiency（效能） with which we use fertilizers in agriculture．We need to improve the efficiency of the management of manure．And we also need to consider changes in dietary patterns（飲食方式）．And that means hopefully better diets in the developing world and better balanced diets in the developed world，"he said．
Even if it were possible to turn off all harmful greenhouse gas emissions today，he said climate change would continue．"But that does not mean that we can do nothing for  it  now，because the sooner we start to take action，the more choices our children and grandchildren will have in terms of being able to feed themselves and have comfortable lifestyles without environmental degradation（退化），"he said．

28．According to the new study，eating less meat isD．
A．one of the best ways to keep healthy
B．an effective way to develop the economy
C．the best way to control greenhouse gas emissions
D．a good way to protect the environment
29．In paragraph 4，what does Dr．Eric Davidson mainly talked about？C
A．The harms of releasing various greenhouse gases
B．The side effects of producing fertilizers and manure
C．The effects of growing need for meat on the environment
D．The ways of managing the frequency of eating meat
30．The underlined word"it"in the last paragraph refers toB．
A．the environment
B．climate change
C．greenhouse gases
D．the lifestyle
31．In Dr．Eric Davidson's opinion，C．
A．it's important to encourage farmers to use fertilizers
B．our future generations will live more comfortably
C．a balanced diet is helpful in controlling climate change
D．it's completely possible to control greenhouse gas emissions．

16．Not all great meals come from restaurants．Some are served from carts and stalls，and eaten on the go．So-called street food is not only delicious，but can be found in nearly every country，rich or poor，says Carla Diamanti，co-author of Street Food：Authentic Snacks from Around the World．"It's a way to get to know the people and the flavor of a place，"says the Italian writer，who has nibbled her way around the globe．She shares some favorite snacks and snacking places with us．
Naples，Italy
Pizza：Pizza may be the closest thing to a global food，but Diamanti says there's nothing like the way it's prepared in Naples．The dish is often ordered from a window counter and quickly baked for customers．If you're eating it on the go，you fold it up for pizza al portafoglio，literally wallet style．"Our pizza is quick and simple，"she says．www．inaples．it
New York
Hot dogs：When foreigners first visit America，one of the first things many want to try is the country's typical snack food，the hot dog．"It's like the flag of America-both inexpensive and democratic，"Diamanti says．"You expect to see kids queuing at a hot dog stall．"212-484-1200； www．nycgo．com
Japan
Bento boxes：Diamanti says the best time and place to eat this portable Japanese meal is under a blooming cherry tree in the spring．Bento boxes are filled with different dishes：often fish，meat，pickled vegetables，rice or tofu．"It's really just a taste，"she says．While the containers are often elaborate wooden serving trays，they can be also cardboard boxes ordered to go.212-757-5640； www．jnto．go．jp
Jamaa el Fna Square，Marrakech，Morocco
Food stalls：When the sun begins to set，this central square comes to life as crowds gather to sing，dance and eat．Hundreds of stalls serve grilled meat，chicken and rice．"There is plenty of smoke with hundreds of people cooking at the same time，"Diamanti says.212-221-1 583； www．visitmorocco．com/index．php/eng/

21．It can be learned from the text that Carla DiamantiB．
A．doesn't like street food．               B．has traveled a lot．
C．has set up the website www．inaples．it  D．likes the pizza most．
22．What is special about the pizza in Naples，Italy？D
A．its attractive taste．  B．its low price．
C．its unique ingredients．D．the way it's prepared．
23．For those who want to eat under blooming cherry trees in the spring，they'd better go toC．
A．Naples，Italy   B．New York  C．Japan  D．Morocco．

15．Is growth good for biodiversity（生物多樣性）？To answer the question，it is critical to define what we mean by growth．Is growth gross domestic product （GDP），the"monetary value of all the finished goods within a country's borders"？Or does it mean improving the human standard of living？Today，when people say growth，they mean GDP，a measure that is over 70years old．Actually GDP demonstrates negative implications for biodiversity，as this"growth"measures only money inflows while far more important is the balance sheet，which shows properties and debts．As biodiversity delivers no cash，it has no place in GDP system，but biodiversity provides the asset side of the balance sheet，such as forests，rivers，wetlands and animals-the list goes on．
It is argued that growth is good for biodiversity in the long run as there is an environmental Kuznets curve where environmental conditions get worse in the early stages of modern economic growth，but improve once a growth level has been reached．According to some people，once GDP has been high，more resources are to invest in conservation，and new technologies are used to protect the nature．They said people would have more interest in protecting the environment，and some of the forests started to return and many pollutants were almost eliminated．Standing in America today it might appear that the environmental Kuznets curve works．
At first sight there appears to be a logic．Today the US GDP is increasing while many precious species populations are also recovering？Such conditions，according to some people，can be explained by greater efficiency in cars or more efficient agricultural production．But in fact，the majority of the negative impacts have simply been exported．The high-polluting industries have been outsourced to developing nations．Therefore the bitterest punishments are largely felt beyond the borders while we Americans are enjoying high GDP and selfish biodiversity at the same time．This can be seen in the WWF annual Report，where species population trends are increasing by 7% in high-income countries and declining in middle-and low-income countries by 31% and 60% respectively．

It is self-evident that growth，as currently defined，has a major negative impact upon biodiversity．What needs to change is the definition of growth from a GDP-essential concept to a balance-sheet approach．Organisations and world community should work on creating new vision or reform that will help ensure a real balance between an improving standard of human life and a thriving biodiverse landscape．

74．According to the passage，the author's opinion toward GDP is that GDPB．
A．has nothing to do with biodiversity as it serves as an economic ruler
B．shouldn't have ignored biodiversity as it does good to balance sheet
C．is out-dated as it leaves out productions outside a country's borders
D．is a useful economic indicator as it honestly follows the Kuznets curve
75．The environmental Kuznets curve is seemingly working becauseD．
A．when US economy is strong，people have more interest in environment protection
B．high GDP helps to introduce high technology for environment protection
C．great fuel efficiency in cars and agriculture helps to protect environment
D．the US makes other weak nations take the harmful consequences
76．The author's main opinion about growth-biodiversity is thatB．
A．there's no clear relationship between growth and biodiversity
B．growth harms biodiversity with today's GDP-centred system
C．biodiversity condition agrees with a country's economic growth
D．the author is not sure about the exact influence of growth on biodiversity
77．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage？B
A．GDP focuses on balance sheet rather than monetary increase．
B．Within borders，America is enjoying a better biodiversity right now．
C．Many low-income nations are having a higher GDP growth than the U．S．
D．Creative ways have been found to balance life standard and biodiversity．

14．The city of Los Angeles is finally getting serious about retrofitting（翻修） the soft wood frame apartment buildings and the weak concrete ones that are at risk of collapsing during a substantial earthquake．A concrete building without adequate steel reinforcement can crumble to the ground，as some did in the 1971Sylmar earthquake，killing dozens．
The first step is to take a list of the 29，000apartment buildings that were built before 1978，when the building code was changed to require stronger wood frame and concrete buildings．The second step will be the analysis of those buildings by structural experts to see if they should be  retrofitted，which needs essential professionalism．Then comes the stage to decide who pays for the work that needs to be done，Landlords？Renters？Taxpayers？The step posed the biggest obstacle to all parties involved．
Actually Under L．A．'s rent control law，property owners can pass on 100% of the cost of‘essential'retrofitting work to renters．Some favor this pass-through move，arguing that many mom-and-pop landlords of small buildings are as cash-strapped as one can imagine，if not more so．
However，the reality is that，like many landlords，the insolvency of most renters will finally make the retrofitting an empty talk．Besides，the cost of retrofitting should not fall on any one group as this work is done to prevent people from being killed in earthquakes．Protecting buildings serves the interests of renters，property owners and the city as a whole，which qualifies it as a matter of public safety issue so that L．A．government needs to find ways to shoulder some burden of the cost．
It has been decided by the city government that the government will get involved，trying to find ways to reduce costs for landlords for the retrofitting projects，and the government is establishing a law to create a tax reduction for retrofitting for landlords．It's not clear at this point how much tax the state could afford to give up，or how much tax cut owners can get．Some even say that the actual financial assistance landlords can get is far less than is expected．However，what it's known definitely now is that Los Angeles must not allow retrofitting to be put off although the money issue poses a big problem．The bottom line is the human life rather than money．

74．According to the passage，which issue is the most essential in deciding the future of the city's retrofitting project？D
A．Having all the parties involved aware of the importance of retrofitting．
B．Making a list of all the buildings that were built before a certain date．
C．Deciding professionally on whether the listed buildings need retrofitting．
D．Working out adequate ways to provide financial support for retrofitting．
75．According to the passage，the underlined word insolvencyis closest in meaning toA．
A．not having enough money to pay debts
B．poor relationship with landlords
C．unwillingness to participate
D．unfair treatment received
76．Which of the following is implied about the retrofitting project？C
A．Most L．A．apartments are of Soft wood frame or of weak concrete．
B．According to L．A．rent law，landlords and renters share the cost for retrofit work．
C．According to government decision，owners will mainly be responsible for the retrofit．
D．Government will pay mainly for the retrofitting work as it relates with people's life．
77．What is the main idea of the passage？B
A．The likelihood of weak apartment falling in big earthquakes．
B．The background of LA apartment retrofit and its financial solution．
C．The argument between landlords，renters and governments over money issues．
D．The importance of LA government's involvement in life-saving projects．

13．Due to rising pollution and a strengthening yuan，Beijing saw its tourist numbers drop to 4.20million visits from January to November in 2013from 5.01million visits in 2012．
The number of overseas travelers to Beijing grew after the city hosted the 2008Olympics until 2012，when it saw a 3.8% （51）B，followed by the further drop last year．The unexpected drop in 2013came （52）D new policies introduced in a（n） （53）Ato support China's tourism industry．But only 14，000tourists （54）C the visa-free stopover，according to the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection，well short of the 20，000target officials had （55）C predicted．
Jiang Yiyi，deputy director of the Institute of International Tourism at the China Tourism Academy，（56）Bpart of the drop-off in foreign tourists to the strengthening yuan．
In 2013，the yuan increased almost 3% against the U．S．dollar，making"Beijing a more expensive （57）A than in the past"，Jiang Yiyi noted．"At the same time，"she said，"other countries have seen their tourist numbers grow as the currencies（貨幣） （58）D．While RMB is on the rise，currencies from some of China's（59）A for tourism，such as Japan，are depreciating（貶值），meaning travel to some other Asian countries has been getting cheaper while travel to China is becoming more expensive，"Jiang Yiyi said．In 2013，the Japanese yen fell 21% against the U．S．dollar，（60）B 10million overseas tourists．
The Beijing Tourism Development Commission noted that the country's battle with pollution is another（61）C cities face in attracting overseas tourists．
Heavy air pollution from Beijing to Shanghai，where pollution levels went off the charts in December，（62）Ddon't do much to help attract tourists．China's tourism officials are expecting to （63）B the trend of declining overseas visitors in 2014-possible，experts say，if it （64）A its outdated tour packages and lowers ticket prices．
Jiang Yiyi at the China Tourism Academy suggests China adopt a long-term national plan to （65）D the country's image and investment in overseas tourism to attract more visitors．

51．A．growth	B．decline	C．change	D．influence
52．A．in addition to	B．by means of	C．as a result of	D．in spite of
53．A．attempt	B．agreement	C．hurry	D．mood
54．A．got familiar with	B．came up with	C．took advantage of	D．put emphasis on
55．A．fortunately	B．frequently	C．previously	D．occasionally
56．A．devoted	B．owed	C．attached	D．exposed
57．A．destination	B．tourism	C．authority	D．association
58．A．reform	B．collapse	C．stabilize	D．weaken
59．A．competitors	B．supporters	C．investors	D．reminders
60．A．inspiring	B．attracting	C．disappointing	D．embarrassing
61．A．opportunity	B．situation	C．obstacle	D．alternative
62．A．relevantly	B．approximately	C．dramatically	D．certainly
63．A．set	B．reverse	C．confirm	D．follow
64．A．revises	B．sells	C．excludes	D．demonstrates
65．A．create	B．keep	C．damage	D．improve

12．Driving in traffic can be extremely stressful．Pedestrians appear out of nowhere，cars suddenly pull out of parking spots，and roads become slippery due to rain or snow．Knowing when to brake and when to accelerate in such situations is hard enough for a human driver，let alone a robotic one．But several carmakers-and a few tech companies-are working to convince drivers to let driverless cars take the wheel．
       Without question，the most anticipated benefit of driverless cars is improved safety．Driverless systems will feature sensors that detect safety threats that human drivers might miss．Many carmakers already offer systems that alert drivers whenever they get dangerously close to other cars．
Also，driverless systems have the benefit of increased efficiency．Driverless cars won't waste as much gas as human drivers do，and guided by advanced GPS，they'll always take the fastest route．Once driverless cars become widely available，common people can have their own driver，and they'll just sit back and relax while their car's computer takes the wheel!
Although completely driverless cars won't be on the market for several years，the technology behind them is already appearing in phases．Two examples are the Active Lane Keeping Assist option for Mercedes-Benz cars and Ford's Traffic Jam Assist．In the first option，the system warns the driver whenever the car crosses lane markings by causing the steering wheel to vibrate（振動）．In the second option，the system helps the car keep pace with other cars while remaining in its current lane．The system is being developed to help relieve blocking on busy roads．
       Several carmakers claim that they'll produce driverless cars within the next decade．But critics aren't so sure，warning that a completely driverless car must be able to make split-second decisions in even the most complex traffic situations．In addition，the car's computer must become smart enough to know when to ask the driver to intervene （介入，干涉） to prevent an accident．
       Full government approval won't happen until driverless cars are proven safe．In the meantime，expect to see carmakers offer ever-smarter features on their new models．
 （Note：Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TWELVE WORDS）
78．One of the factors that make traffic extremely stressful is thepedestrians appearing out of nowhere/cars pulling out of parking spots/slippery roads due to rain or snow
79．What are the benefits of driverless system？Improved safety and increased efficiency
80．What will happen to a car with the Active Lane Keeping Assist when it crosses lane markings？The steering wheel will vibrate．
81．Driverless cars won't be on the market until they canmake split-second decisions and know when to ask the driver to intervene．

11．Automation refers to the introduction of electronic control and automatic operation of productive machinery．It reduces the human factors，mental and physical，in production，and is designed to make possible the manufacture of more goods with fewer workers．The development of automation in American industry has been called the"Second Industrial Revolution"．
Labour's concern over automation arises from uncertainty about the effects on employment，and fears of major changes in jobs．In the main，labour has taken the view that resistance to technical change is unfruitful．Eventually，the result of automation may well be an increase in employment，since it is expected that vast industries will grow up around manufacturing，maintaining，and repairing automation equipment．The interest of labour lies in bringing about the transition with a minimum of inconvenience and distress to the workers involved．Also，union spokesmen emphasize that the benefit of the increased production and lower costs made possible by automation should be shared by workers in the form of higher wages，more leisure，and improved living standards．
To protect the interests of their members in the era of automation，unions have adopted a number of new policies．One of these is the promotion of supplementary unemployment benefit plans．It is emphasized that since the employer involved in such a plan has a direct financial interest in preventing unemployment，he will have a strong drive for planning new installations so as to cause the least possible problems in jobs and job assignments．Some unions are working for dismissal pay agreements，requiring that permanently dismissed workers be paid a sum of money based on length of service．Another approach is the idea of the"improvement factor"，which calls for wage increases based on increases in productivity．It is possible，however，that labour will rely mainly on reduction in working hours in order to gain a full share in the fruits of automation．（in no more than 8 words）
78．Automation makes it possible tomanufacture more goods with fewer workers．
79．At first，two things people worried about automation wereeffect on employment and major changes in jobs
80．According to union spokesmen，the workers benefit from automation in terms ofwages，leisure hours and living standards
81．What is the last passage mainly talking about？Union's policy concerning the protection of union members．
（Note：Answer the questions or complete the statements in No More Than Ten Words．）

10．

A．investments	B．enough	C．unconditional	D．degree	E．loyalty
F．back	G．relevant	H．doubly	I．commitment	J．promoted	K．demonstrate

Although many companies offer tuition repayment，most companies only repay employees for classes that are（41）Gto their position．This is a very limiting policy．A company that repays employees for all college credit courses-whether job related or not-offers a service not only to the employees，but to the entire company．
One good reason for giving employees （42）Ctuition repayment is that it shows the company's commitment to its employees．In today's economy，where job security is a thing of the past and employees feel more and more expendable，it is important for a company to（43）Kto its employees that it cares．The best way to do this is with concrete（44）Ain them．In turn，this commitment to the betterment of company employees will create greater employee （45）E．A company that puts out funds to pay for the education of its employees will get its money （46）Fby having employees stay with the company longer．It will reduce employee turnover，because even employees who don't take advantage of the tuition repayment program will be more loyal to their company just knowing that their company cares （47）Bto pay for their education．Most importantly，the company that has an unrestricted tuition repayment program will have higher quality employees．Although these companies do indeed run the risk of losing money on employees who go on to another job in a different company as soon as they get their （48）D，more often than not，the employee will stay with the company．
And even if employees do leave after graduation，it generally takes several years to complete any degree program．Thus，even if the employee leaves upon graduating，throughout those years，the employer will have a more sophisticated，more intelligent，and therefore more valuable and productive employee．And，if the employee stays，that education will（49）Hbenefit the company：Not only is the employee more educated，but now that employee can be （50）Jso the company doesn't have to fill a high-level vacancy from the outside．Open positions can be filled by people who already know the company well．Though unconditional tuition repayment requires a significant investment on the employer's part，it is perhaps one of the wisest investments a company can make．

9．You've now heard it so many time，you can probably repeat it in your sleep．President Obama will no doubt （51）Cthe point publicly when he gets to Beijing：the Chinese need to （52）Dmore； they need-believe it or not-to become more like Americans，for the sake of the global economy．
And it's all true．（53）Athe other side of that equation is that the U．S．needs to save more．For the moment，American households actually are doing so．After the personal-savings rate （54）Bto zero in 2005，the shock of the economic （55）Blast year prompted people to snap （56）Ctheir wallets．In China，the household-savings rate exceeds 20%．It is partly for policy（57）A．As we've seen，wage earners are expected to （58）Dnot only their children but their aging parents．And there is，to date，only the flimsiest （脆弱的） of publicly-funded health care and pension systems，which increases incentives for individuals to save （59）Dthey are working．But China is a society that has （60）Aesteemed personal financial prudence （謹慎）．There is no （61）Cthat will change anytime soon，even if the government creates a better social safety net and successfully encourages greater consumer spending．
Why does the U．S．need to learn a little frugality （節(jié)儉）？Because healthy savings rates are one of the surest indicators of a country's long-term financial health．High savings lead，over time，to increased investment，which in turn generates productivity gains，（62）Cand job growth．（63）B，savings are the seed corn of a good economic harvest．
The U．S．government thus needs to act as well．By running （64）Bdeficits，it is dis-saving，even as households save more．Peter Orszag，Obama's Budget Director，（65）Ccalled the U．S．budget deficits unsustainable and he's right．To date，the U．S．has seemed unable to see the consequences of spending so much more than is taken in．That needs to change．

51．A．play	B．take	C．make	D．give
52．A．concern	B．process	C．promote	D．consume
53．A．But	B．Therefore	C．However	D．Furthermore
54．A．drained	B．dipped	C．discounted	D．dissolved
55．A．issues	B．crisis	C．troubles	D．questions
56．A．cut	B．put	C．shut	D．get
57．A．reasons	B．situations	C．areas	D．zones
58．A．take off	B．break out	C．make up	D．care for
59．A．unless	B．before	C．after	D．while
60．A．long	B．short	C．good	D．bad
61．A．doubt	B．wonder	C．chance	D．problem
62．A．condition	B．action	C．innovation	D．location
63．A．In general	B．In short	C．In addition	D．In a sense
64．A．significant	B．constant	C．conscious	D．stable
65．A．occasionally	B．consequently	C．recently	D．accidentally．