1 . Billionaire Sir Christopher Hohn expects the greatest “demand disruption (中断)” for oil since the 1970s shock to cause an increase in renewable energy investment.
He said high oil prices are “a positive thing” for the climate as the energy crisis results in a “dramatic speed-up” in decarbonisation (碳减排). “The whole world should now be focused on seeking alternatives, whether they’re renewables or hydrogen fuels. All of these things are far more economic.”
He pointed to the recent boost of EU (欧盟) for renewable energy funding, as part of a plan to reduce imports of gas. Even as oil and gas companies obtain record profits from the high prices at present, Hohn said climate-focused investors will ultimately benefit from the energy price shock.
“The oil price increase leads to plans for accelerated decarbonisation,” said Hohn. “I personally believe that we’ll have demand disruption as we had in the 70s, and that there will be a dramatic acceleration in decarbonisation. I actually view it as a positive thing.”
Hohn has pressured companies to give shareholders a vote on their climate plans. Spanish airport operator Aena and aircraft manufacturer Airbus improved their emissions (排放) tar-gets as a result. Hohn has also pushed for stricter regulation on corporate climate promises. “Corporate decarbonisation isn’t going to happen through voluntary methods,” Hohn said.
Hohn is also backing a new rating agency that will grade company emissions strategies, through his charity, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. The Climate Action-plan Rating Centre (Climate-Arc) will analyse public company data and publish climate plan ratings.
Investors often struggle to analyse corporate climate plans. “Because though some organizations declare their commitment to environmental protection, they actually do the opposite,” Hohn said, “I expect a large proportion of companies will get graded F if they’re not doing enough. Even companies with net zero emissions targets have failed to set out plans about how to reach those goals. The impact is going to be a bit like, ‘the emperor has no clothes’.”
1. Why are high oil prices a positive thing according to Hohn?| A．They will reduce energy demand. |
| B．They will bring economic benefits. |
| C．There will be a shift to clean energy. |
| D．There will be a reduction in energy imports. |
| A．Climate regulation should be stricter. |
| B．Decarbonisation should be voluntary. |
| C．Emissions targets should be debated. |
| D．Climate plans should be informed to the public. |
| A．The method of avoiding being graded F. |
| B．The suggestion about helping investors. |
| C．The method of reaching zero emissions targets. |
| D．The suggestion about reducing carbon emissions. |
| A．Energy crisis—a hard nut |
| B．Energy crisis—a wake up call |
| C．Energy crisis—a cruel circle |
| D．Energy crisis—a cause of economic depression |
2 . Migration (迁移) has become a flashpoint for debate in many countries. But research from the McKinsey Global Institute(MGI) finds that it generates significant economic benefits-and more effective integration of immigrants (移民) could increase those benefits.
Moving more labor to higher-productivity settings boosts global GDP. Migrants of all skill levels contribute to this effect, whether through entrepreneurship (创业) or through freeing up natives for higher-value work. In fact, migrants make up just 3. 4 percent of the world’s population, bur MGI’ research finds that they contribute nearly 10 percent of global GDP. They contributed roughly $6. 7 trillion to global GDP in 2015-some $3 trillion more than they would have produced in their origin countries. Developed nations realize more than 90 percent of this effect.
Employment rates are slightly lower for immigrants than for native workers in top destinations, but this varies by skill level and by region of origin. Wide-ranging academic evidence shows that immigration does not harm native employment or wages, although there can be short-term negative effects if there is a large inflow of migrants to a small region, if migrants are close substitutes for native workers, or if the destination economy is experiencing a downturn.
Realizing the benefits of immigration depends on how well new arrivals are integrated (融合) into their destination country’s labor market and into society. Today immigrants tend to earn 20 to 30 percent less than native-born workers. But if countries narrow that wage gap to just 5 to 10 percent by integrating immigrants more effectively across various aspects of education, housing, health, and community engagement, they could generate an additional boost of $800 billion to $1 trillion to worldwide economic output annually. This is a relatively conservative goal, but it can produce broader positive effects, including lower poverty rates and higher overall productivity in destination economies.
The stakes are high. The success or failure of integration can reverberate (回荡) for many years, influencing whether second-generation immigrants become fully participating citizens who reach their full productive potential or remain in a poverty trap.
1. What is the purpose of this text?| A．To give a definition. |
| B．To explain a phenomenon. |
| C．To introduce a research. |
| D．To report a finding. |
| A．Around $3 trillion of 2015 global GDP would have disappeared without immigration. |
| B．90 percent of 2015 global GDP was created by immigrants from developed nations. |
| C．20 to 30 percent native-born workers earn 10% more than immigrants. |
| D．$800 billion to $1 trillion would be boosted if immigrants earned 20-30% more. |
| A．How skilled immigrants are. |
| B．How much immigrants make up the local population. |
| C．How good the destination economy is. |
| D．How integrated immigrants are into local society. |
| A．immigration | B．integration |
| C．contribution | D．second-generation |
3 . A year of lockdown has brought about some questionable fashion trends. In US suburbs, bathrobes and slippers are now socially-acceptable clothing for a trip to the grocery store.
Ugly shoes are also having moment. Crocs the maker of plastic clogs(木屐) now with market worth of $5. 3 billion, had a record 2020. The distinctive shoes, with their punch(打孔机) hole design, have long been popular with hospital staff. During the COVID-19 outbreak, they have become a sought-after item for those looking for something easy to wear and clean.
The company sold more than 69 million pairs of shoes in 2020 and pulled in nearly $1. 4 billion, a 13% jump from 2019. The share price, up 650 percent from its pandemic low, has set repeated new highs this year.
Birkenstock is another brand riding high on the shift to a more casual lifestyle. The German group recently sold itself to a LVMH-backed group in a 4 billion deal.
The two brands' popularity shows no sign of fading. Poshmark, the second-hand clothing app, said Crocs and Birkenstock remained top trending brands on its site in March. Sales are up sharply for both compared with the year-ago period. Cooperation with celebrities (Justin Bieber for Crocs, women's brand Proenza Schouler for Birkenstock) should help maintain the trend.
The same cannot be said for dress shoes, which were already falling out of fashion. Office closures and fewer special occasions such as weddings and graduations have accelerated the trend. Sales for the category plummeted last year, according to market researchers The NPD Group. These accounted for only 8% of total fashion footwear dollar sales in 2020, compared with 17% in 2017.
People will soon reach again for going-out clothes, more formal than pyjamas. But the market for dress shoes will never recover entirely. The ugly shoe movement is here to stay.
1. What does the underlined word "plummeted" in paragraph 5 probably mean?| A．Increased sharply. | B．Increased slightly. |
| C．Decreased sharply. | D．Decreased slightly. |
| A．Uncertain | B．Pessimistic. | C．Cautious. | D．Confident. |
| A．Crocs give dress shoes a kicking. | B．Casual clothes are making a comeback. |
| C．Punch hole design becomes a trend. | D．Dress shoes are falling out of fashion. |
| A．To recommend new shoes. | B．To present a new tendency. |
| C．To change people’s lifestyle. | D．To question a fashion trend |
