BEIJING Oct.16 (Friday) (Xinhua)—The Chinese government will make more support policies to lift the country’s 70 million poor people above the poverty line by 2020, President Xi Jinping announced on Friday ahead of the 23rd International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Addressing the Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum in Beijing, Xi said China will work to fight the hard battle against poverty. In his speech, Xi drew on his personal experience in the 1960s working as a farmer in a small village in northwestern Shaanxi Province, where he was struck by the poor living conditions in rural China. But over the past several decades, China has made remarkable progress in poverty relief.
China has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty in the past 30 years, accounting for about 70 percent of those brought out of poverty worldwide. It was the first developing country to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) target of reducing the population living in poverty by half ahead of the 2015 deadline. “Despite the achievements, China remains the world’s biggest developing country, and narrowing the urban-rural gap remains a big challenge for us,” Xi said.
As of the end of 2014, China still had 70.17 million people in the countryside living below the country’s poverty line of 2,300 yuan (376 U. S. dollars) in annual income by 2010 price standards. The president said poverty alleviation will be a major part of China’s post-2015 agenda. While struggling to reduce poverty at home, China has also actively supported the cause in other developing countries. Over the past 60 years, China has provided 166 countries and international organizations with nearly 400 billion yuan in assistance.
China has also announced seven times it would exempt, without any conditions, the matured inter-governmental interest free loans owned by heavily-indebted poor countries and least developed countries. At a United Nations summit last month the goal of eliminating poverty in 15 years was laid out and China pledged an initial 2 billion U.S. dollars to establish an assistance fund to help developing nations fight poverty.
In a video message for Friday’s Forum, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised China’s remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, saying the UN welcomes those significant and generous proposals from President Xi and looks forward to further progress with an indispensable partnership with China.
Saturday also marks China’s second National Poverty Relief Day.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?| A．President Xi once worked as a farmer in a small village. |
| B．China has made great contributions to poverty relief in the past decades. |
| C．China has announced to exempt loans owned by heavily-indebted poor countries and developed countries. |
| D．The UN thinks highly of China’s extraordinary achievements in poverty relief. |
| A．relief | B．line | C．reform | D．rise |
| A．Oct.16 | B．Oct.15 | C．Oct. 17 | D．Oct.14 |
| A．a magazine | B．a newspaper | C．a research paper | D．a brochure |
相似题推荐
Traditional companies didn’t want to lose any business. Quickly they made their own websites and began selling things on the Net. These are the so-called “brick and click” companies. Many stores are made of brick. And you click on your mouse to buy things with your computer. That’s where the name “brick and click” comes from.
By the late 1990’s, e-business like amazon.com, buy.com and etoys.com were in trouble. Their profits（利润） were not very high. Competition was great. Many of these business were losing lots of money. In 2000, many e-business went out of business.
Why are “brick and click” companies, like Barnes and Noble, Toys RVs and Walmart so successful? First, many customers know and trust their names. Their websites like walmart.com. are easy to remember. These companies also have lots of experience. They know how to run a successful business.
In the world of e-commerce, companies are fighting for every dollar and every customer. Will “brick and click” companies win the war? Only time will tell.
1. Which of the following would be a “brick and click” company?
| A．A restaurant. |
| B．A clothing company with no website. |
| C．A bookseller with five stores and a website. |
| D．A video seller with a big website but no stores. |
| A．They went out of business. | B．They made their websites. |
| C．They bought Internet companies. | D．They sold their companies. |
| A．Heavy competition | B．They were short of money. |
| C．They didn’t know what to do. | D．people didn’t believe in them. |
| A．people trust them | B．their names are easy to remember |
| C．they are experienced | D．all the above |
| A．All the “brick and click” companies run a successful business. |
| B．“Brick and click” companies are certain to win the business competition. |
| C．It is uncertain whether “brick and click” companies will win the competition. |
| D．Both “brick and click” companies and Internet companies will be successful in the future. |
【推荐2】Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they’ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered(无拘无束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself… We have no princes, for whom we toil(干苦力活), starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology(神化) is full of illustration of the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it’s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.
1. By saying “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means .| A．the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns |
| B．laborious work ensures the growth of an industry |
| C．a man’s business should be developed step by step |
| D．a company’s success depends on its employees’ hard work |
| A．succeed in real estate investment |
| B．earned enormous fortunes by chances |
| C．became wealthy after starting life very poor |
| D．became famous despite their modest origins |
| A．business success often contributes to a successful marriage |
| B．Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life |
| C．good personal relationships lead to business success |
| D．successful business people provide good care for their children |
| A．The American road to success is full of nightmares. |
| B．Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person’s wealth. |
| C．The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream. |
| D．What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs. |
【推荐3】Restaurants and food shops not satisfying the government hygiene standards can lose their licenses or permits under a demerit (记过) system introduced by the Urban Council. Health officials can give demerits in the form of points and food shops can be closed either for a short period of time or forever if they reach the demerit limit.
Fifteen points within a 12-month period will result in a food shop being closed for four days. If another 15 points are collected within a year of a first offence, the food shop will be closed for a week. Ten more points collected within a year of the second offence will mean being closed for 14 days.
Being closed one more time and another 10 points within 12 months will result in a license being cancelled and the food shop closed. On the other hand, if a food shop has a clean sheet for a year, it can start all over again.
Demerit points are given according to the seriousness of the hygiene offence. Very serious offences earn 15 points, for example, selling polluted food which is harmful to health, watering down milk or injecting (meat with water. Serious offences carry a 10-point punishment and include illegally doing business beyond licensed areas, employing workers likely to spread disease, or failing to keep the food shop or equipment clean.
Major offenses include selling food containing something that is not allowed or facing the risk of being polluted by rats and pests. Such offense carries 5 demerit points. So do having dirty fish tanks and having a lot of rubbish. Moderate offenses carrying three demerit points include allowing a dog in the food shop and failing to sterilize (消毒) wet towels.
To raise cleanliness awareness among restaurant operators, the Urban Council holds a Restaurant Hygiene Competition every year. Restaurants are judged by Urban Council judges according to environmental, food and worker hygiene, cleanliness of kitchens, equipment and toilets. This year, more than 5, 000 restaurants were judged and 450 restaurants with the city area of Hong Kong satisfied the government hygiene standards.
1. What does the underlined word “offence” probably mean?| A．A dirty restaurant. | B．An illegal act. |
| C．A big mistake. | D．A long delay. |
| A．Watering down milk. | B．Selling polluted food. |
| C．Allowing a dog in the food shop. | D．Having dirty fish tanks. |
| A．A shop becoming clean all over. | B．A shop admitting it is wrong. |
| C．A shop taken over by a new owner. | D．A shop without any new demerit points. |
| A．To introduce a demerit system. | B．To raise awareness of healthy food. |
| C．To support the Urban Council. | D．To advertise for restaurants in Hong Kong. |
【推荐1】Education: Peking University to open branch in Oxford
Peking University will be the first Chinese university to open an oversea branch in Oxford next year.
According to Peking University, its HSBC Business School has got a campus in Oxford from the Open University in Britain. This purchase comes as the government steps up efforts to build globally famous universities that will lead the world in teaching and research.
People: Chinese Cambridge student shares his experience
From a struggling student to attending one of the most famous universities, Han Zhenyu’s hard work seems to have paid off. Recently, Han shared his experience with students and their parents in his home city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. The 21-year-old student is now in his third year majoring in mathematics at Cambridge University, one of the top colleges in the world. Using his experience, he is helping seven other Chinese students to follow in his footsteps.
Society: Quake-hit areas given a new life
Visitors to Qinglongchang village in Longmen township in Lushan, a county in Sichuan Province, will be able to appreciate the new houses built for the residents following reconstruction work after an earthquake, which broke out on April 20, 2013. With the backing of governments at different levels, 232 centralized resettlement areas with brand-new houses were built for farmers within three years of the quake.
1. What will Peking University do next year?| A．It will open a foreign branch in Oxford. | B．It will get a campus in Oxford. |
| C．It will lead the world in teaching and research. | D．It will become globally famous. |
| A．Because he wants to show off. | B．Because he wants to be famous. |
| C．Because he wants to help more Chinese students. | D．Because he majors in mathematics in Cambridge. |
| A．Visitors. | B．Governments. | C．Kind people. | D．Local farmers. |
【推荐2】Have you heard of shikumen houses (石库门) in Shanghai？ It is a type of architecture that combines Western culture and traditional Chinese residential characteristics. It uses stone as door frames (门框) and solid wood in black lacquer (漆) as door leaves (门扇)．Over the past 100 years，many significant historical events have been seen in shikumen houses, such as the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 1921.
Unfortunately, many Shangbai locals don’t even know about shikumen houses, and they are disappearing due to the development of the city. To make a difference, a group of students from Shanghai International Studies University has established a studio called “Meeting Shikumen”. “We probably can’t stop them from disappearing,” said Mei Zi, 18, the leader of the group. “But we want to let more people know that shikumen houses exist.”
Starting in 2022, the students opened accounts on WeChat and Instagram to share information about shikumen houses, such as the significance of their architectural design and how they reflect Shanghai culture. To draw more young people’s attention to shikumen houses, they also created original IP figures called “Kuku” and “Tiantian”. The students even created a series of WeChat stickers of Kuku and Tiantian, which now have been used by more than 10,000 people.
“This project has become a tradition of our university and will be carried on by students,” Mei said. “In the future, we want to interact with international students in Shanghai, by taking them on theme tours of shikumen houses, to share shikumen with people from various cultures.”
1. What materials are commonly used in the construction of shikumen houses?| A．A mixture of clay and straw. |
| B．A mixture of glass and steel. |
| C．A combination of bamboo and wood. |
| D．A combination of stone and black-lacquered solid wood. |
| A．To prevent shikumen houses from disappearing. |
| B．To raise public awareness of shikumen houses. |
| C．To promote the architectural design of shikumen houses. |
| D．To document historical events related to shikumen houses. |
| A．Created two original IP figures. |
| B．Organised theme tours of shikumen houses. |
| C．Developed an app to introduce shikumen architecture. |
| D．Produced a documentary on the history of shikumen houses. |
| A．To preserve shikumen houses as historical landmarks. |
| B．To establish a museum featuring shikumen architecture. |
| C．To increase global recognition of shikumen houses. |
| D．To spread shikumen houses on social media platforms. |
【推荐3】Do you have good friends? Do you sometimes feel so close to them that they are like family to you?
It turns out that this isn’t just an expression. A study by Yale University and the University of California, San Diego, has found that you and your friends have more genes in common than strangers do, the Guardian reported.
Researchers looked at the genes of 1,932 people and compared them in pairs of unrelated friends and strangers. They found that friends have 1 percent of genes that match.
“One percent may not sound like much to the layperson (外行), but to geneticists (遗传学家) it is a significant number,” Professor Nicholas Christakis of Yale University told Discovery News. In fact, this is the same amount of genes you share with your fourth cousins, those who have the same great-great-great grandparents as you.
So is it a coincidence that you become friends with people who share your genes? Not at all. In fact, it is evolution that brings you together.
People who share certain genes also share skills and have similar likes and dislikes, researchers said. In ancient times, it was critical that people who were alike stayed together. For example, people who had a similar susceptibility (易感性) to the cold were more likely to help each other build a fire, giving them a better chance to survive.
Researchers also found that among all the genes studied, those affecting sense of smell were the most similar in friends. This is probably because people who smell things in the same way are more easily drawn to similar environments. For example, people who like the smell of coffee may hang out at cafes more often and are therefore more likely to meet and become friends with each other.
Based on their findings, the team has developed an interesting test called the “friendship score”. It calculates how big the chances are that two people will be friends by studying their genes.
So, here is a question for you: would you like to take this test and know in advance who your friends are going to be, or would you still prefer to figure it out by yourself and let time be the judge?
1. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the article?| A．To explain why friends share skills and interests. |
| B．To report on recent findings about making friends. |
| C．To analyze what influences the way people make friends. |
| D．To explain an interesting test called the “friendship score”. |
| A．form friendships by complete coincidence |
| B．are genetically similar to their friends, compared to strangers |
| C．make friends with those who share nearly 10 percent of their genes |
| D．may share more similar genes with their friends than with their fourth cousins |
| A．show how ancient people helped each other survive |
| B．explain that similar interests are what lead to friendship |
| C．show that it is evolution that brings friends together |
| D．tell us why it was easier for ancient people to find friends |
| A．like to hang out at cafes more often |
| B．are easily attracted to the smell of their friends |
| C．are more likely to be attracted to a similar environment |
| D．can identify people in a crowd who can become friends |
