Should Writers Be Paid for Their E-books Lent by Libraries?
When libraries lend books to the public, authors and publishers receive remuneration from the Government under the Lending Rights schemes.
This year, the government has distributed almost a $ 22 million under these Public Lending Rights and Educational Lending Rights Schemes. For each book in public library collections creators receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52.
The amount that each claimant receives is often not very significant, with the majority of authors receiving between S100-500 annually, Still, a previous study has revealed that this remuneration constitutes the second most important source of income for creators from their creative work.
E-books, however, are not covered by these Lending Rights schemes.
One of the main reasons why e-books are not covered is that e-book lending is quite different from print book lending. In case of print books, authors and publishers are arguably losing on customers and revenues when libraries loan their books for free.Creators only receive $2.11 and publishers receive $0.52 for each book in public library collections.
At present, in the case of e-books, many publishers chose not to sell these books to libraries.
While publishers charge libraries high prices for e-books, writers complain that these amounts do not reach them. Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending.
A.However,this is not the case when libraries lend e-books. |
B.This may not be a big issue now, for e-books are minor in publishing. |
C.Also, publishers assume get more profits from libraries where readers pay them more. |
D.Publishing contracts often don't specify whether and how much authors receive for e-books sales or for e-lending. |
E.Extension alone would do little if the current funds under the schemes were merely re-distributed from books to e-books. |
F.For this reason, authors and publishers have been talking the Government into extending the Lending Rights Schemes to e-books. |
2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
A. digesting B. distinction C. examine D. identical E. intervening F. live G. mixture H. perspective I. shock J. space K. texting |
Communication — a thing of the past?
We all think we communicate all the time, and that’s true. There’s also non-verbal communication you could add into the mix — everything we’re saying when we’re not saying anything. But there’s a(n)
So it was quite a(n)
I don’t think our common, current methods of communication come close to being in a small house with lots of people and having to communicate
3 . The misery of my bike commute in Calgary, Alberta, is the river valley hill. It’s not particularly steep, but at about a mile long, I rarely climbed up without arriving with sweat. Studies have shown the prospect of arriving at work sweaty is one of the biggest
“Pedelec”, or pedal electric-assisted bikes like the one I rode, can end that worry. They look and act like traditional bicycles, but their motors make pedaling much easier when required. Sometimes called the most energy-efficient motorized mode of transportation ever built, they’re also incredibly green. The biggest barrier may be the outdated attitude that sees bikes only as a recreational athletic opportunity rather than a practical
At a time when cities across North America are struggling to combat crippling traffic and reduce climate emissions, e-bikes have the
Many of the barriers to e-bike
Few places on the continent,
Amid these legislative
A.advantages | B.processes | C.barriers | D.complements |
A.riders | B.builders | C.customers | D.volunteers |
A.production | B.communication | C.facilities | D.transportation |
A.routine | B.potential | C.temporary | D.major |
A.make of | B.carry on | C.bring up | D.take off |
A.adaptation | B.adoption | C.adjustment | D.justification |
A.proved | B.alerted | C.banned | D.authorized |
A.however | B.unless | C.meanwhile | D.anyway |
A.originate | B.combine | C.separate | D.satisfy |
A.factors | B.benefits | C.limits | D.damages |
A.proper | B.critical | C.sensational | D.difficult |
A.expensive | B.distinctive | C.sensitive | D.intensive |
A.trouble | B.concern | C.power | D.scale |
A.favored | B.folded | C.referred | D.gifted |
A.appeal | B.address | C.amount | D.advocate |
4 . xMAP Technology allows users to perform a wide range of protein-and nucleic acid-based multiplex assays, which can simultaneously detect up to 500 targets in a single run.
Key Advantages of xMAP Technology:
Test for more biomarkers.
Develop custom assays.
Use less sample.
Save time and reagents.
Gain a better understanding of complex biological systems.
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xMAP Technology: The Science
What is multiplexing? Multiplexing is a method for high-volume biomarker testing — or testing multiple analytes simultaneously within a single run-using a single sample volume. xMAP Technology is best-suited for testing 3-500 targets.
How does xMAP Technology work? xMAP Technology uses labeled micro-spheres or beads, allowing for the simultaneous capture of multiple analytes from a single reaction.Because of their small size and low density, xMAP micro-sphere-based assays exhibit virtual solution-phase kinetics during the reaction. The beads are individually read using an xMAP instrument.
What does xMAP mean? Multi-Analyte Profiling, where the “x” represents the biomarkers (such as proteins, nucleic acids, or polyacrylamides) that are being tested.
xMAP Beads
xMAP beads come in a variety of formats, including magnetic (MagPlex) and nonmagnetic ( MicroPlex) beads.
xMAp beads puss through a red laser, or LED, which excites the internal dyes to distinguish the microsphere set. Then, a green laser or LED excites the fluorescent reporter dye to determine the result of the assay.
xMApDApplications
xMAP in Action
Explore xMAPW Technology and discover some of the many applications used by multiplexing research experts across the globe:
xMAP Assny Automation: Automation can boost productivity, minimize errors, and save on reagents.
Immunogenicity: By using xMAP Technology, researchers can consolidate multiple essays into one for more efficient immune response studies.
Bend-Based Multiplexing vs Electrochemiluminescence: Bead-based multiplexing offers significantly higher plex capacity, requires less hands-on time, and delivers superior results compared to traditional methods.
Generate more data while saving sample, time , and reagents
xMAp beads come in a variety of formats. The MagPlex Microspheres-6.5 micronsuperparamagnetic beads that are dyed with three red and infrared fluorescent dyes, resulting in 500 distinctly colored bead sets are our most versatile and efficient microspheres for high-plex applications. Approximately 10* surface carboxyl groups (COOH) cover the surface of the bead and serve as covalent attachments for capture ligands. A fluorescent reporter is coupled to a target molecule, which allows its detection after specific capture on the microsphere surface.
1. According to the passage, what is xMAP?A.A mind map. | B.A lest method. | C.A navigation map. | D.An application. |
A.developing custom analysis | B.forming a network structure |
C.generating more data | D.saving samples and reagents |
A.The xMAP beads distinguish groups of microspheres by a blue laser. |
B.xMAP allows for the capture of a single analyte from multiple reactions. |
C.MAP technology is used more in the experimental phase. |
D.The “x” in xMAP represents the biomarkers being tested. |
5 . For the past three decades, companies and consumers have benefited from cross—border connections that have helped to maintain a steady supply of electronics, clothes, toys and other goods so abundant that it has managed to keep prices low across the board.
However, as the pandemic and the Russia — Ukraine conflict continue to weigh on trade and business ties, that period of plenty appears to be undergoing a partial reversal. Companies are rethinking where to source their products and are stockpiling inventory (库存), even at the potential cost of lowering their efficiency and increasing their operation expense. If the situation lasts for very long,
American economists are debating whether recent supply chain troubles and geopolitical conflicts will result in a shake-up of global production, in which factories that had previously been sent offshore or areas with fewer tax regulations, move back to the United States or into other more stable countries. If this happens, a decades-long decline in the prices of many goods could come to an end. We may even witness a slide backwards, meaning a potential boost in prices and overall inflation as a result.
The period of global integration before the pandemic made many of the things Americans buy cheaper. Computers and other forms of technology made factories more efficient, and they rolled out sneakers, kitchen tables, and electronics at a pace unmatched in history. Companies slashed their production costs by moving factories offshore, where wages were lower. The adoption of steel shipping containers and ever larger cargo ships allowed products to be transported from Bangladesh and China to Seattle and Tupelo and everywhere in between at astonishingly low prices.
Those changes, however, had consequences for American factory workers, who saw many jobs disappear. Katherine Tai, the U. S. trade representative, said that, while American consumers have enjoyed the “luxury” of low prices for imported goods for a long time now, the system upon which it was built has always been a very “fragile” one. Americans are not just consumers, but also workers who have to compete in a global marketplace for talent where globalization “has damaged opportunities and wages for average American workers”.
“Some returning is occurring — let’s make no mistake about that.” Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala., the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, said in an interview. But the data shows that most businesses are reducing their risk by building up their inventories and finding additional suppliers in low-cost countries, such as Vietnam and Mexico. This process could end up helping more deeply integtate poorer countries in Africa and other parts of the world into the global value chains, said Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.
The intertwined trajectory (轨迹) of globalization, low prices, and inflation on the whole will be closely watched by economists over the years to come. “It would certainly be a different world.” Jerome H. Powel, the chair of the Federal Reserve, said when asked about a possible move away from globalization. “It’s not obvious how dramatically conditions will change,” he said. “But it’s clear that it’s slowed down.”
1. Which of the following best fits the blank in Paragraph 2?A.the trend of global integration |
B.a shift away from fine-tuned globalization |
C.the benefit of cheap and plenty goods |
D.an upcoming economic crash |
A.A potential decline in prices of goods can be expected. |
B.American companies may locate their offshore factories in Africa. |
C.Efficient transportation makes bulk buying convenient for Americans. |
D.Inflation has a role to play in the shake-up of globalization. |
A.Katherine Tai takes a neutral position concerning globalization. |
B.American factory workers face heightened competition from domestic rivals. |
C.American consumers generally benefited from global integration. |
D.Exported goods lead to the lower wages of average Americans. |
A.The Era of Cheap and Plenty May be Ending |
B.Globalization: Crisis or Opportunities? |
C.New Winners in the Post-globalization Era |
D.The Future of Global Economy |
6 . Artificially sweetened diet drinks make no difference to weight gain and should not be seen as healthier than their sugar-laden counterparts, according to a team of experts. A review of research evidence concludes there is nothing to support claims that sugar free versions of popular soft drinks can help
There have been concerns that diet drinks, known as artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs), might lead people to consume more calories by
The researchers pointed out that research supported by food or beverage companies was more likely to find no evidence of links between sugary drink
In many cases, researchers had failed to disclose
Leading British nutritionist Professor Susan Jebb said despite the mixed evidence, there was no reason to believe that replacing sugary drinks with artificially sweetened
A.relieve | B.oppose | C.prevent | D.bother |
A.inserting | B.stimulating | C.enhancing | D.securing |
A.resulting from | B.referring to | C.depending on | D.relating to |
A.substitute | B.proposal | C.suspect | D.implication |
A.efficiency | B.consumption | C.distribution | D.modernization |
A.appointments | B.instructions | C.performances | D.conclusions |
A.threats | B.matters | C.conflicts | D.appeals |
A.adequate | B.essential | C.available | D.deliberate |
A.initiatives | B.alternatives | C.objectives | D.representatives |
A.without question | B.beyond description | C.around the corner | D.in consequence |
A.settle | B.route | C.mend | D.make |
A.wrong | B.right | C.proper | D.opposite |
A.democratic | B.automatic | C.systematic | D.dramatic |
A.transferred | B.ranged | C.accessed | D.added |
A.fascination | B.ambition | C.confusion | D.isolation |
7 . Conservationists go to war over whether humans are the measure of nature’s value. New Conservationists argue such trade-offs are necessary in this human dominated epoch. And they support “re-wilding”, a concept originally proposed by Soule where people curtail economic growth and withdraw from landscapes, which then return to nature.
New Conservationists believe the withdrawal could happen together with economic growth. The California-based Breakthrough Institute believes in a future where most people live in cities and rely less on natural resources for economic growth.
They would get food from industrial agriculture, including genetically modified foods, desalination intensified meat production and aquaculture, all of which have a smaller land footprint. And they would get their energy from renewables and natural gas.
Driving these profound shifts would be greater efficiency of production, where more products could be manufactured from fewer inputs. And some unsustainable commodities would be replaced in the market by other, greener ones — natural gas for coal, for instance, explained Michael Heisenberg, president of the Breakthrough Institute. Nature would, in essence, be decoupled from the economy.
And then he added a caveat: We are not suggesting decoupling as the paradigm to save the world, or that it solves all the problems or eliminates all the trade-offs.
Cynics (悲观者) may say all this sounds too utopian, but Breakthrough maintains the world is already on this path toward decoupling. Nowhere is this more evident than in the United Sates, according to Iddo Wernick, a research scholar at the Rockefeller University, who has examined the nation’s use of 100 main commodities.
Wenick and his colleagues looked at data carefully from the U.S. Geological Survey National Minerals Information Center, which keeps a record of commodities used from 1900 through the present day. They found that the use of 36 commodities (sand, iron ore, cotton etc.) in the U. S. Economy had peaked.
Another 53 commodities (nitrogen, timber, beef, etc.) are being used more efficiently per dollar value of gross domestic product than in the pre-1970s era. Their use would peak soon, Wernick said.
Only 11 commodities (industrial diamond, indium, chicken, etc.) are increasing in use (Greenwire, Nov.6), and most of these are employed by industries in small quantities to improve systems processes. Chicken use is rising because people are eating less beef, a desirable development since poultry cultivation has a smaller environmental footprint.
The numbers show the United States has not intensified resource consumption since the 1970s even while increasing its GDP and population, said Jesse Ausubel of the Rockefeller University.
“It seems like the 20th-century expectation we had, we were always assuming the future entailed greater consumption of resources,” Ausubel said. “But what we are seeing in the developed countries is, of course, peaks.”
1. What does the underlined word “trade-offs” refer to in the first paragraph?A.The balance between human development and natural ecology. |
B.The profitability of import and export trade. |
C.The consumption of natural resources by industrial development. |
D.The difficult plight of economies growth. |
A.They believe that mankind should live in forests with rich vegetation. |
B.They believe that mankind will need more natural resources in the future. |
C.They believe that mankind is the master of the whole universe. |
D.They believe that mankind should limit economic growth. |
A.Natural resources cannot support economic development. |
B.More resource consumption will not occur in a certain period of time. |
C.Excessive resource consumption will not affect the ecological environment. |
D.All resource consumption in developed countries has reached a peak. |
A.Urbanization and re-wildness. |
B.Human existence and industrial development. |
C.Socioeconomic development and resource consumption. |
D.Commodity trading and raw material development. |
8 . BLOSSOMS SHANGHAI, a Six-Year Wait Over Now
HONG KONG film director Wong Karwai’s first television series, Blossoms Shanghai, began its broadcast at the end of December. The drama with 30
The TV drama, set in 1990s Shanghai, centers around a young man called A Bao (played by Hu Ge, now a cultural
The TV adaptation comes out in two
The success of the TV series can
In addition, the main setting of the story, “Huanghe Road”, was rebuilt at a 1:1
In typical Wong Kar-wai style, the production took six years to complete. The director has a reputation for being very
The TV series has received mixed reviews. On Douban, quite a number of viewers are not happy with its plot which they think is transitioning too rapidly and thus a bit challenging to follow, thus it
A.pages | B.series | C.episodes | D.abbreviations |
A.huddle | B.blur | C.illustrate | D.eliminate |
A.phenomenon | B.identity | C.essence | D.heritage |
A.marital | B.humble | C.prolific | D.overall |
A.versions | B.depictions | C.interpretations | D.illustrations |
A.flexible | B.artistic | C.local | D.authoritative |
A.formal | B.poetic | C.professional | D.authentic |
A.be attributed to | B.be intended to | C.be devoted to | D.be accustomed to |
A.baggage carts | B.motor sledges | C.sewing machines | D.live-streaming platforms |
A.demand | B.significance | C.nostalgia | D.evidence |
A.potential | B.scale | C.boom | D.revival |
A.particular about | B.irrelevant to | C.upset about | D.rooted in |
A.herd behavior | B.vicious circle | C.temporary escape | D.noticeable decline |
A.tempts | B.roams | C.disrupts | D.declines |
A.cautious | B.standard | C.accurate | D.positive |
9 . Who cares if people assume that the Internet has had more important influences than the washing machine? Why does it matter that people are more impressed by the most recent
The eager embrace of the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) revolution, represented by the Internet, has made some rich countries wrongly conclude that making things is so “yesterday” that they should try to live on
Even more worryingly, the
In yet another example, an obsession with the new has led people to believe that the latest changes in the technologies of communications and transportation are so revolutionary that now we live in a “borderless world”.
Understanding technological trends is very important for
A.cultural | B.political | C.educational | D.technological |
A.misguided | B.illegal | C.inefficient | D.dissatisfying |
A.practices | B.risks | C.reforms | D.ideas |
A.emphasize | B.neglect | C.monitor | D.promote |
A.familiarity | B.involvement | C.fascination | D.identification |
A.conflict | B.divide | C.contact | D.balance |
A.therefore | B.otherwise | C.however | D.furthermore |
A.fashionable | B.expensive | C.recognizable | D.accessible |
A.medical | B.basic | C.economic | D.technical |
A.creative | B.abnormal | C.alternative | D.inappropriate |
A.For example | B.As a result | C.On the contrary | D.In the meantime |
A.put an end to | B.put up with | C.come up with | D.come down to |
A.constantly | B.actively | C.correctly | D.adequately |
A.private | B.individual | C.financial | D.universal |
A.generalization | B.evaluation | C.overstatement | D.underestimation |
10 . Journal editors decide what gets published and what doesn’t, affecting the careers of other academics and influencing the direction that a field takes. You’d hope, then, that journals would do everything they can to establish a diverse editorial board, reflecting a variety of voices, experiences, and identities.
Unfortunately a new study in Nature Neuroscience makes for disheartening reading. The team finds that the majority of editors in top psychology and neuroscience journals are male and based in the United States: a situation that may be amplifying existing gender inequalities in the field and influencing the kind of research that gets published.
Men were found to account for 60% of the editors of psychology journals. There were significantly more male than female editors at each level of seniority, and men made up the majority of editors in over three quarters of the journals. Crucially, the proportion of female editors was significantly lower than the overall proportion of women psychology researchers.
The differences were even starker in the neuroscience journals: 70% of editors were male, and men held the majority of editorial positions in 88% of journals. In this case, the proportion of female editors was not significantly lower than the proportion of female researchers working in neuroscience—a finding that reveals enduring gender disparities in the field more broadly.
Based on their results, the team concludes that “the ideas, values and decision-making biases of men are overrepresented in the editorial positions of the most recognized academic journals in psychology and neuroscience.”
Gender inequality in science is often attributed to the fact that senior academics are more likely to be male, because historically science was male-dominated: it’s argued that as time goes on and more women rise to senior roles, the field will become more equal. Yet this study showed that even the junior roles in psychology journals tended to be held disproportionately by men, despite the fact that there are actually more female than male junior psychology faculty.
This implies that a lack of female academics is not the problem. Instead, there are structural reasons that women are disadvantaged in science. Women receive lower salaries and face greater childcare demands, for instance, which can result in fewer publications and grants—the kinds of things that journals look for when deciding who to appoint. Rather than simply blaming the inequality of editorial boards on tradition, we should be actively breaking down these existing barriers.
A lack of diversity among journal editors also likely contributes to psychology’s WEIRD problem. If journal editors are largely men from the United States, then they will probably place higher value on papers that are relevant to Western, male populations, whether consciously or not.
1. What would we expect an editorial board of an academic journal to exhibit in view of its important responsibilities?A.Insight | B.Diversity |
C.Expertise | D.Integrity |
A.The majority of top psychology and neuroscience journals reflect a variety of voices, experiences and identities. |
B.The editorial boards of most psychology and neuroscience journals do influence the direction their field takes. |
C.The majority of editors in top psychology and neuroscience journals have relevant backgrounds. |
D.The editorial boards of the most important journals in psychology and neuroscience are male-dominated. |
A.Male researchers have enough representation in the editorial boards to ensure their publications. |
B.Male editors of top psychology and neuroscience journals tend to be biased against their female colleagues. |
C.Women’s views are underrepresented in the editorial boards of top psychology and neuroscience journals. |
D.Female editors have to struggle to get women’s research articles published in academic journals. |
A.Strike a balance between male and female editors | B.Implement overall structural reforms |
C.Increase women’s employment in senior positions | D.Enlarge the body of female academics |