Many skilled young people are being forced into part-time and unskilled work, the report says. It warns of a "crisis" with more than six million people so disillusioned they have given up looking for work. The ILO(International Labor Organization)wants governments to make job creation a priority. It wants more training schemes, and also tax breaks for employers.
"The youth unemployment crisis can be beaten but only if job creation for young people becomes a key priority in policymaking and private sector investment picks up significantly," said Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, executive director of the ILO's employment sector.
Since 2007, the number of young people without jobs has risen by four million - up from less than 12%, the Global Employment Trends for Youth Report says. Almost 13% of people aged between 15 and 24 - or almost 75 million - have no work, although this is slightly down on its peak in 2009.
In the European Union, one in five young people are looking for work, the report claims. Some 27.9% of youths were unemployed in North Africa last year —a rise of five percentage points on 2010. In the Middle East, the figure stood at 26.5% in the report's regional breakdown. Even in East Asia, perhaps the most economically active region, the unemployment rate was 2.8 times higher for young people than for adults, the report said.
But, the ILO report reveals, the true picture of youth unemployment is even more pessimistic. Many young people are extending their time in higher education because they cannot find jobs. Others are taking part-time unskilled work because they cannot find work in the fields they trained for.
The ILO says that more than six million young people worldwide have given up looking for work and are becomingly increasingly detached from society. By not using their skills they are losing them, the report says, and if there is no improvement in the jobs market soon, they may be not only unemployed, but unemployable.
The ILO suggests offering tax breaks to businesses hiring young people and offering more programmes to help kick-start careers.
【小題1】Which of the following is true according to Jose Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs?

A．Since 2007, the number of young people out of job has risen to 4 million.

B．Nearly 13% of the young people have no work.

C．Job creation should be made a key priority in policymaking.

D．The youth unemployment rate can never go down.

【小題2】The various figures in paragraph 3 and 4 were used to show_______.

A．The employment situation is serious only in the European Union

B．The global youth employment situation is depressing

C．East Asia enjoys a high youth employment rate

D．Compared with the situation in 2009, the youth employment in 2007 is slightly better

【小題3】According to ILO, the following are caused by high youth unemployment rate except_______.

A．The government calls on young people to take up whatever job is available

B．Many young people are making their time in higher education longer

C．Some young people are taking part-time unskilled work

D．Many young people have given up looking for work

【小題4】The ILO offered many solutions to the crisis of youth unemployment, including_______.
a. making job creations a priority          b. more training schemes      
c. encouraging public investment           d. tax breaks for employers     
e. offering more entrepreneurship programmes to help start careers

A．a(chǎn) b c e

B．b c d e

C．a(chǎn) c d e

D．a(chǎn) b d e

Public caught up in argument over safety of genetically modified or simply GM products, report Zhang Lei and Zhong Nan in Beijing.
More than 300 people gathered to enjoy a bowl of porridge made from genetically modified food on Saturday, an attempt to quell public fears about the safety of the product.
The first China Golden Rice Tasting Event was held at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei province, sparking another round in the nationwide debate about the safety of GM crops, often called "Frankenfood" by opponents.
Similar events have been held in more than 28 cities since May, the university said.
Both the pro and anti camps have posted conflicting comments on the Internet, with each providing evidence to back up their beliefs, but the exchanges are becoming increasingly bitter.
Jiang Tao, a senior engineer at the Center for Agricultural Resources Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who is in favor of GM foods, was annoyed about what he called "amateurs" spreading rumors.
"Just look at the people who are opposed to GM foods; can you find anyone from a related field in the scientific community?" he asked. Jiang also accused the anti-GM lobby of repeatedly using outdated or inaccurate data to support an "incorrect" stance.
Chen Yunfa, an independent researcher into the Yangtze River Delta economy, recently wrote a commentary on the Internet news portal Eastday in which he criticized the actions of the 61 scientists, saying they had gone "beyond their proper duty". He suggested that large multinational corporations might be behind the letter and similar incidents, prompted by a desire to freeze China's patent hybrid rice technology out of the market.
To support his contentions, Chen said that GM rice, first produced by scientists in the US, still hasn't gained official approval from the US government. However, the US authorities have actually granted licenses to six varieties of GM rice. The commercial planting of two varieties - anti-herbicide (BAR) transgenic rice LL RICE 06 and LL RICE 62 - produced by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis, was approved in 1999 and a license for cultivation for edible use was granted in 2000.
The public outcry for GM labeling and boycotting has hindered the advancement of the technology. Concern about GM foods has been fueled by studies like the one published by French professor Gilles-Eric Séralini in September 2012. Séralini claimed that his research involving rats proved that the GM corn fed to them caused tumor growth. Furthermore, there is growing concern that the pesticides(殺蟲劑) used on GMOs(轉(zhuǎn)基因作物)are contributing to the decline of the world’s honey bee population, leading to honey bee deaths by infecting the brains of the insects with toxins. Therefore, some experts recommend the labeling of non-GM foods so that consumers can make that decision without a regulatory burden being placed on GMOs.
However, we should be cautious about anything that may risk humans’ life. Only time will tell.
【小題1】Why did more than 300 people enjoy porridge made from genetically modified food?

A．To show evidence that GM products are dangerous.

B．To support that the first China Golden Rice Tasting is safe.

C．To rid public of fears and worries about the safety of GM foods.

D．To draw public’s attention to nationwide planting of GM products.

【小題2】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Those who are for GM products and those who are against keep arguing fiercely by holding conferences.

B．People are failing to show evidence to support their pros and cons, although they hold a firm belief of their own.

C．Some people think those against GM foods have a good knowledge of GM technology and are spreading rumors.

D．GM food may be just a way for some multinational corporations to drive China’s patent hybrid rice out of the market.

【小題3】What can we infer from the second paragraph from bottom?

A．The public advocated that GM products should be labeled clearly.

B．Séralini claimed that his research proved the GM corn caused rats to grow faster.

C．Many honey bees have died because they were fed with GM corn.

D．There should be some restrictions on GM products’ selling.

【小題4】What is the writer’s attitude towards GM products?

A．Supportive.

B．Suspicious.

C．Indifferent.

D．Critical.

Do you enjoy seeing the stars twinkling at night ? Or do you love the ocean and sea, diving and racing with lovely dolphins? With heavy burdens on their shoulders, teenagers find it hard to pull out. Even if they are free, they prefer to occupy themselves with computer games or watching TV. How to get children away from screens is a great concern for parents. Now there is some good news for those concerned parents and teachers.
A campaign is being launched to encourage children to surrender 30 minutes of screen time a day to head for the great outdoors.
The newly formed Wild Network – a collaboration of nearly 400 organizations – is attempting to attract youngsters away from television and computer screen and into fields, woods and parks.
Organizers say it is the UK's biggest ever campaign to reconnect children with nature and outdoor play, and claim it could help improve fitness, mental alertness and general well–being.
A documentary film, Project Wild Thing, will herald the launch at more than 50 cinemas across the UK from Friday. It looks at the increasingly fragile link between children and nature.
Members of the network include the National Trust, RSPB, Play England and the NHS sustainable development unit.
Andy Simpson, chairman of the Wild Network, said: "The tragic truth is that kids have lost touch with nature and the outdoors in just one generation. Time spent outdoors is down, roaming ranges have fallen drastically, activity levels are declining and the ability to identify common species has been lost."
Suggestions of how to get more time in nature include collecting conkers(板栗), camping or snail racing, and observing autumn colour on trees.
From January, the network will aim to make suggestions to politicians on how government can do more to get children muddy and bright-eyed.
This is not the first time the message of less screen, more play has been brought up. Children in the 1980s were entreated to do the same by the BBC TV series Why Don't You, which somewhat confusingly called on its viewers to "switch off your TV set, and go do something less boring instead".
【小題1】What is the main purpose of the campaign in UK?

A．To save 30 minutes for watching TV programme each day.

B．To encourage children to play outdoors.

C．To see the documentary film, Project Wild Thing.

D．To teach students how to learn more efficiently in schools.

【小題2】According to the organizers of Wild Network, there will be many advantages from the campaign except _______.

A．improving health conditions

B．keeping touch with nature

C．learning more about wildlife

D．teaching children how to make full use of their spare time

【小題3】The underlined part “ to get children muddy and bright-eyed ” means “_______ ”.

A．to make children covered with mud

B．to urge politicians to do more things for children

C．to encourage children to take part in outdoors activities

D．to help children identify common species

【小題4】Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?

A．A new campaign.	B．Less screen, more play outdoors.
C．A newly formed Wild Network.	D．Children get to know wild things.

The US will seek to expand its own oil production in an attempt to reduce dependence on imported oil and bring down fuel prices , President Obama says . New contracts for exploration will be signed in non-protected areas of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico.
In his weekly speech , the President insisted the US could reduce its need for imported oil and improve safety. Using his speech to tell Americans that he understood their concerns about rising prices, President Obama focused particularly on the price of fuel, which has risen in recent months.
US consumers have historically enjoyed cheap fuel , but have seen prices rise in recent months even though US oil production in 2010 reached its highest level for seven years.
Although the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was serious, Mr Obama said the Gulf remained a key part of the country’s future energy supply.
The President’s proposals (議案）come after Republicans (共和黨人） introduced a series of proposals that would expand and speed up oil and gas production.
The White House has criticized the Republican proposals for safety reasons , but Mr Obama was clear in his speech that he felt safety and environmental standards could be maintained even though production might rise.
“ I believe that we should continue to expand oil production in America —even as we increase safety and environmental standards ,”he said.
“As a nation, we should be investing in the clean, renewable sources of energy that are the solution to high gas prices.”
Mr Obama has previously called for a step-change in energy policy, saying the US must move towards getting 80%of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT included in Mr Obama’s speech?

A．The dependence on imported oil.

B．Improving safety standards

C．The reason for the rising oil prices .

D．Expanding oil production.

【小題2】Mr Obama thinks the Republican proposals are ______.

A．Not safe enough	B．Not environmentally friendly
C．Practical	D．Clear

【小題3】What can we learn from the text ?

A．The US has got most of its electricity from clean energy.

B．US oil production is too small to keep the present low fuel prices.

C．The US produced the most oil in 2010 in its history.

D．The Gulf is still important in energy supply in spite of the oil spill in 2010.

【小題4】 Which of the following can serve as the title?

A．Obama: US will seek oil in Alaska and Gulf of Mexico.

B．Obama: US will import less oil to improve safety and environmental standards .

C．Obama: the time of high fuel prices will be gone.

D．Obama: clean, renewable sources of energy are the solution to high gas prices

According to an English newspaper, scientists could begin cloning human embryos in Britain in 2001. It is understood that the government has already agreed to use Frankenstein’s technology, believing the benefits are more important than ethical （倫理的）concerns .Researchers think it will be possible to grow brain tissue to cure the diseases that are likely to get worse as time passes like Alzheimer’s , and produce “spare part” organs like hearts and kidneys for transplant （移植）.
Ministers are aware that the change in the law will be as controversial as the law which legalized abortion (墮胎）more than 30 years ago. Some politicians reacted angrily , arguing that the government had already made up its mind without discussion. Church leaders and anti-abortion campaigners have long expressed their horror at the plans, arguing that even the earliest embryos are forms of human life.They believe that getting an embryo from cells is morally unacceptable . And it will also cause arguments about how far scientists should interfere with nature and lead to accusations that they  are “playing God”.
The cloning of human embryos to provide spare parts is regarded by most experts to be the most important step forward in the 21^st century medicine. Scientists say treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s will be the first application of cloning. The ability to clone embryos was first achieved by scientists in Scotland in the late 1990s and now the ability to grow stem cells into tissues and organs is being developed by American researchers. Combining the two technologies will mean an end to long waits for organs from donors and problems caused by rejection (排異反應(yīng)） of transplanted tissues by the body.
Ian Wilmut, the man who cloned Dolly the sheep, has warned that British experts will go to America, where such work is legal, if the government does not permit it.
【小題1】The government has decided to allow scientists to clone human embryos because they think that ____.

A．Frankenstein’s technology is advanced

B．Its advantages are more important than its disadvantages

C．Diseases like Alzheimer’s are a serious problem in their country

D．They can make a lot of money from it

【小題2】The underlined word “they”in Paragraph 2 refers to ______.

A．Ministers	B．Scientists
C．Church leaders	D．Anti-abortion campaigners

【小題3】Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Most experts think that the cloning of human embryos is beneficial.

B．Politicians were in favour of the government’s decision.

C．It is legal for scientists to clone embryos in America now.

D．American researchers are developing the ability to grow stem cells into tissues and organs.

【小題4】What’s the best title for this passage ?

A．Science of cloning.

B．Cloning and abortion

C．Cloning human embryos

D．the argument between politicians and scientists

In 2016, athletes from around the world will compete for gold medals in the Summer Olympics. Even though the games are three years away, Brazil’s residents already feel like winners.
The nation was named to host this important sporting event in October,2009. It will be the first Olympics held in South America.
The games will take place in Rio de Janeiro. The city beat out three other sites, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago, to host the event. When the International Olympic Committee chose Rio de Janeiro, cheering people flooded the city’s streets. “This is huge for Rio and for the whole country,” says resident Sueli Ferreira.
The Olympics are expected to attract tens of thousands of people. Brazilian officials have already started to prepare for the crowds. “ We know what we need to do,” explains Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. “ The words from now on are work, work and work.”
Officials want to fix up local sports centers before Rio de Janeiro steps into the spotlight. They also want to reduce the amount of crime.
They hope hosting the games will improve life in Brazil. About 30 percent of people there live in poverty, or poor conditions. Tourism during the Olympics is expected to create more than 2 million jobs.
“ It’s going to be good for the economy, good for the people,” Ferreira says. “ This gives us hope that things will be better here.”
【小題1】According to the passage, the 2016 Olympics will be held in ______.

A．Europe

B．Asia

C．North America

D．South America

【小題2】The feeling of Brazilians can be described as _________.

A．proud

B．surprised

C．worried

D．nervous

【小題3】The underlined word “flooded” in Para.3 means_______

A．crossed

B．filled

C．visited

D．cleaned

【小題4】According to Brazil’s president, we can know________.

A．the government needs help from the Brazilian public

B．the government will begin to prepare for the Olympics soon

C．Brazilian officials will try hard to prepare for the Olympics

D．Brazilian official are now too busy to prepare for the Olympics

【小題5】We can learn from the last two paragraphs that___________.

A．Brazilians’ life will be better because of the Olympics

B．not all Brazilians are interested in the Olympics

C．most Brazilians are now living in poor conditions

D．Brazilians worry about losing jobs during the Olympics

A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (顯著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,” said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球),Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：While the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said. “They look at her as an icon(偶像). I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so dearly that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match, but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won, since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli, a spectator. “We also cheered for Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team. It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,” she said. “The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable.”

【小題1】 What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Staying professional.

B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer.

C．A match between China and the US.

D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach.

【小題2】 Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.

A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy

B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to

C．disliked to be with her fans

D．didn’t want to disturb public order

【小題3】What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?

A．destroyed completely	B．tore into pieces
C．spread out to the wind	D．rolled up

【小題4】What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”?

A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team.

B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams.

C．She just tried to stay professional.

D．The results of each match will be the same.

Thousands of people living in the Chinese capital will celebrate the start of the Chinese New year by heading for the ski resorts (滑雪場). Never mind that Beijing’s dry weather seldom produces snow. It is cold enough in winter for snow-making machines to make a covering for the hills north to the capital. And the rapid growth of a pleasure-seeking middle class has formed the basis for this new craze(熱潮）.
Since Beijing’s first ski resort was opened ten years ago, the sport has enjoyed astonishing increase. There are now more than a dozen resorts. Clothes markets in the city have added bright colored ski suits to their winter collections. Mr. Wei, a manager of a newly-opened ski resort in Beijing, sees the growth of an industry that could soon lead Chinese to head for the ski resorts of Europe. In recent years ski resorts offering natural snow have opened in China. But many are in faraway areas of the country and can’t really match the equipment and services of some ski resorts in Europe.
Beijing’s skiing craze is partly a result of the recent increase in private cars. This has led to the growth of a leisure industry in the capital’s suburbs, which until the late-1990s were unreachable to ordinary people. According to Mr. Wei, about 40% of the visitors to his resort come in their own cars. The rest are bused in by schools, businesses or government offices.
The problem is making money. Starting ski resorts requires quite a lot of money: hiring land from the local government, preparing the hills, buying snow machines, making sure there are enough water and electricity to run them, and buying ski equipment for hiring out to customers.
The ski resort where Mr. Wei works cost nearly $4m to set up. And, as so often in China when someone comes up with a good idea, many others rush in and price wars break out. Beijing now offers some of the cheapest ski training classes in the world, though with most people rather new to the sport, expecting a few more doing the same job.
【小題1】What does this text mainly talk about?

A．Convenience for skiers brought about by private cars.

B．Skiing as a new way of enjoying one’s spare time.

C．Things to be considered when starting a ski resort.

D．A sudden increase of ski training classes in Beijing.

【小題2】Why are some Chinese likely to go skiing in Europe?

A．To visit more ski areas.

B．To ski on natural snow.

C．For a large collection of ski suits.

D．For better services and equipment.

【小題3】What is the main problem in running a ski resort?

A．Difficulty in hiring land

B．Lack of business experience

C．Price wars with other ski resorts

D．Shortage of water and electricity

The only survivor of one of the two Sandy Hook Elementary School first-grade classrooms where Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 children tricked the gunman by playing dead，the girl’s pastor(牧師)said.
“She ran out of the school building covered from head to toe with blood and the first thing she said to her mom was,“Mommy，I’m OK but all my friends are dead” Pastor Jim Solomon told ABC News’ Lara Spencer this weekend
“Somehow，at that moment, by God’s grace，she was able to act as she was already dead.”he said.
The girl, a 6-year-old whose name is not being announced for privacy(隱私)reasons，was the first student to appear from the lockdown(封鎖)at Sandy Hook，Solomon said．He said the young girl described the shooter to her mom in a way that only a young child can．
“Well, she saw someone who she felt was angry and someone she felt was very mad，”Solomon said. “I think it's impossible without the help of God. She has wisdom beyond her years, for sure’’
Of the 20 children killed on Friday in the Newtown，Conn., school, eight were boys and l2 were girls Six staff members，all female, were also killed. The gunman,whose mother was also killed by him before he went to the schoo1 classrooms, was found dead at the present spot.
“The mom told me—and I thought this was very insightful(有深刻見解的)—that she was suffering from what she felt was survivor’s guilt because so many of her friends no longer have their children but she has hers,” Solomon said how the girl’s mother and father are handling the trauma(傷害)．“I don’t know whether l would have the type of faith that they have if the same thing happened to me.”
【小題1】How did the girl manage to avoid being shot?

A．She pretended to be dead

B．She hid herself under the desk

C．She rushed out of the school building in time

D．She persuaded the shooter into not shooting her．

【小題2】Which of the following best describes the girl ?

A．Talented and innocent	B．Serious and insightful
C．Active and happy	D．Clever and brave

【小題3】The killing case which happened in Sandy Hook Elementary School         .

A．ended up with the shooter being killed

B．was a shooting by a group of people

C．was due to the gunman getting angry with the pupils

D．was not open to the public for the moment

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE about the girl’s mom?

A．She was disappointed with the pastor

B．She felt very dissatisfied with other parents

C．She felt terribly sorry for those who had lost their children

D．She strongly condemned the police．

【小題5】What can we know from the text?

A．It is not difficult for the parents to handle the trauma.

B．The girl’s parents have asked for help from their pastor．

C．The girl has helped the police in catching the gunman.

D．The gunman has worked in the school.

The environmental group 350.org has launched a new campaign called Climate Name Change that proposes to revise to how hurricanes are named: call them after policymakers who say that humans are not to blame for global warming.
This will save the Katrinas and Sandys of the world from the injustice of having their names attached to major disaster, the group says. And, as a bonus, it will produce some peculiar weather reports.
“Rick Perry leaves trail of death,” appears under a broadcast titled “Rick Perry: The Tragedy.”
“Michelle Bachman is incredibly dangerous. If you value your life, please seek shelter from Michelle Bachman,” says an official while addressing a news conference.
The campaign is unlikely to influence the World Meteorological Organization, which has since 1954 named Atlantic tropical storms from an official list.
But the campaign’s goal seems less to actually name a hurricane after the speaker of the house, and more to call attention to an issue that this month has reached an alarming level of seriousness. The campaign comes just a month before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release its most recent report on the state of global warming and a week after a draft（草稿）of the report was given away to Reuters.
In the draft, scientists concluded with near certainty – about 95 percent sure – that humans are to blame for the worldwide temperature hikes over the last few decades. That was a revision from the 2007 report, which put scientific certainty that human activities were driving global climate change at about 90 percent.
And global warming, the report said, is not slowing down – it, actually, is accelerating. That means that sea levels could balloon upward as much as three feet by the end of the century, if emissions(排放量) continue at their current pace.
Still, as the Washington Post Climate notes, hurricanes are not the best sign of global warming. Though current data suggests that global warming will in the future stir up terrible super storms, there is still not enough evidence to support the idea that climate change strengthens the recent hurricanes that have torn at the US’s eastern coastline.
【小題1】It can be inferred that__________ is one of the policymakers who believe that humans are not to blame for global warming.

A．Katrina

B．Rick Perry

C．Flossie

D．Sandy

【小題2】350.org has launched the campaign with the real purpose of _________________.

A．changing the ways of naming hurricanes

B．introducing the methods of naming hurricanes

C．reminding policymakers to change their attitudes

D．calling attention to the coming report on global warming

【小題3】The draft of the global warming report tells us that _____________.

A．global warming is speeding up at the same rate

B．it is human beings that have caused global warming

C．the new report has a more accurate data than the one in 2007

D．human beings are not the only one to blame for global warming

【小題4】The writer of the passage seems to believe that______________.

A．policymakers should be blamed for the global warming

B．the campaign will cause the change of naming hurricanes

C．global warming has no necessary relation to terrible hurricanes

D．global warming will surely cause terrible super storms in the future