线练学校高三英语 自主招生辅导时文阅读翻译Word文档格式.docx

线练学校高三英语 自主招生辅导时文阅读翻译Word文档格式.docx

《线练学校高三英语 自主招生辅导时文阅读翻译Word文档格式.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《线练学校高三英语 自主招生辅导时文阅读翻译Word文档格式.docx（8页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AStopgapSolution

Onthelonglistofthingsthatkeepcoal-industryexecutivesawakeatnightisthepossibilitythattheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency（EPA）willbegintoregulatecarbondioxideasapollutant.Nowitseemsthatnightmareisathand.

OnFeb.17,EPAadministratorLisaJacksonannouncedthattheagencywouldreconsideraBushAdministrationdecisionnottoregulateCO2emissionsfromnewcoalpowerplants.Thenextday,shebackedupthatstatementbytellingtheNewYorkTimesshewasconsideringactingonanApril2007SupremeCourtdecisionthatempowerstheEPAtoregulateCO2asapollutantundertheCleanAirAct.“WhatthissaysisthattheCleanAirActalreadyprovidesthegovernmentwiththechancetodosomethingaboutglobal-warmingpollution,”saysDavidDoniger,policydirectorfortheNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil’sclimatecenter.“Wehavearighttoexpectthegovernmenttocarryouttheexistinglaw.”

However,carryingoutthelawwillbeanythingbutsimple,norwillitbethemostefficientwaytoprotecttheenvironment.The2007courtcaseinquestiongavetheEPAtheauthoritytoregulateCO2,whentheSupremeCourtruledinfavorof12states,ledbyMassachusetts,thatbroughtsuitagainstthegovernmenttoforceittoregulategreenhousegases.TheBushAdministrationlargelyignoredtheimplicationsofthatdecisionforthenexttwoyears,likelyinpartbecauseofcomplaintsfromindustrythatregulationgCO2wouldbeexpensiveandmaddeninglycomplicated.

Asthelawiswritten,usingtheCleanAirActtoregulategreenhouse-gasemissionsdirectlywouldbeunreasonablydifficult,becauseofcarbondioxide’ssheerubiquity.In2000,theUSemittedlessthan18milliontonsofthepollutantsulfurdioxide,chieflyfromcars,powerplantsandfactories.Inthesameyear,nationalCO2emissionsreachednearly6billiontons,fromvirtuallyeveryaspectofmodernlife.Regulatingemissionswouldbeliketryingtogatheruptheocean.Inaddition,theCleanAirActtechnicallyrequires“major”sourcesofpollutants—meaningthosethatemitmorethan250tonsayear—toacquirecostlyandtime-consumingpermitsbeforebuildingorexpanding.Again,becausecarbonissoubiquitous,establishmentsassmallasafast-foodfranchisecouldemitmorethanthelimit,whichiswhyconservativecriticshavenicknamedthe2007decisiontheDunkin’Donutsrule.

Regulatinggreenhousegasesfrompowerplantscouldbringatotalhalttocarbon-intensiveelectricity,sincethereiscurrentlynoeconomicalwaytocaptureandstoretheplants’carbonemissions.That,inturn,couldleadtoanescalationofcostlierbutlow-carbonalternativeslikenaturalgas,windorsolarbydefault,whichcriticssaywouldputadragontheeconomy.

TheEPAcouldalsoexercisethepowerithastoregulatecarbonemissionsfromcars.“It’sreallycritical,whenthecountryismakingadecisiontopourmassivecapitalinvestmentintonewcarsandpowerplants,thatthemovesareharmonizedtoaddressgreenhouse-gasemissions,”saysVickiePatton,aseniorattorneyfortheEnvironmentalDefenseFund.

Evenmostenvironmentalists,however,don’treallywanttoseetheEPAtakealltheresponsibilityforreducingcarbonemissions,usingalawthatwasdraftedbeforeclimatechangewasaknownthreat.Instead,theyseefederalregulationsasaprotectivestopgapmeasureuntilCongresscanpassnationalcarboncap-and-tradelegislationspecificallytailoredtoglobalwarming.“It’snotgoingtobeeasy,butitcanbedone,”saysDoniger.Sincetheonlythingthatcoal-industryexecutivesandotherfossil-fuelpeddlersfearmorethanacarboncapisEPAregulation,hemightjustberight.

DidForeignersCauseAmerica’sFinancialCrisis?

MuchofthefaultofthefinancialcrisishasbeenheapedonWallStreeters,unscrupulousmortgagelendersandweakregulators.Butinanewresearchpaper,economistRicardoCaballerosaysthereisanothermajorgroupofcontributorstoAmerica’smonetarymesswhoarenotgettingtheblametheydeserve:

foreigners.

“ThereisnodoubtthatthepressureontheUSfinancialsystemthatledtothefinancialcrisiscamefromabroad,”saysCaballero,whoistheheadofMIT’seconomicsdepartment.“ForeigninvestorscreatedademandforassetsthatwasdifficultfortheUSfinancialsectortoproduce.AlltheywantedweresafeassetsandtheirensuingpurchasesmadetheUSunsafe.”

Caballero,whoisfromChile,isnotabsolvingAmericanbankersandregulators.ButhesaysinvestigatorsandlawmakerswhoarelookingintothefinancialcrisisarespendingtoomuchtimegrillingWallStreetersandnotenoughtimelookingintotheglobalimbalancesthatarelargelytoblame.“WhatworriesmeisCongresstryingtocreatenewregulations,butnotaskingwherethepressurewascomingfromtocreatetheseproducts,”saysCaballero.“Intermsofformulatingasolution,justlookingattheUSfinancialsystemisnottheanswer.”

AnumberofeconomistsandpolicyanalystsbelieveCaballeromakesalotofsense.Ofcourse,notalleconomistsarebuyingtheCaballero’sblamethem,notus,explanationofthefinancialcrisis.TheysayjustbecausetherewasmoneyflowingintotheUnitedStatesdoesn’tmeanthecreditcrunchwasinevitable.

“MostoftheblameforthefinancialcrisisliesinthechoicesthatweremadeinsidetheUS,”saysAnilKashyap,aneconomicsprofessoratUniversityofChicago’sBoothSchoolofBusiness.

Nonetheless,evenifforeignerinvestors’roleinAmerica’screditboomandbustisdebatable,what’sbeyonddoubtisthatthisaspectofthecrisisisnotgettingasmuchattentionas,say,bankersandtheirbonuses.OnThursday,theFinancialCrisisInquiryCommissionwrappedupitsseconddayofhearings.Globalimbalancesisoneofthe22areasthatthepanelissupposedtoinvestigateasapossiblecauseofthecreditcrunch.Butintwodaysofhearings,whichincludedtestimonyfromtopfinancialexecutives,economists,analysts,regulatorsandahedgefundmanager,therewasn’tasinglequestionthathadtodowithwhatroleforeigninvestmentmighthaveplayedincreatingthecrisis.

Caballerosaysthatiswrong.HisstoryofthefinancialcrisisbeginsnotintherisingcondobuildingsorgrowingdevelopmentsinMiamiorLasVegas,butininvestmenthousesandofficesofcentralbankersinBeijingandRiyadh.Caballeroassertsthatinternationalinvestors,particularlythosetaskedwithdeployingthereservesofforeigngovernments,preferrelativelysafeinvestments,whichmadethenormallystableUS.economyanaturalhuntingground.Themoneymighthavegoneintostocks,butaftertheNasdaqandstockmarketroutoftheearly2000s,investors'

appetiteshiftedtobonds.

HowtopreventasimilarcrisisfromhappeningagainisthequestionthatCaballerothinkswearegettingwrong.HebelievesreformingtheUS.financialsystemisonlypartoftheanswer.Foreigninvestors,hesays,needtochangetheirbehavioraswell.Specifically,CaballerobelievestheUS.needstoencourageforeigngovernmentstoholdarangeofUS.investments,insteadofjustfunnelingalloftheirmoneyintosayTreasuriesormortgagebonds.OnewaytodothatistorequireforeigngovernmentsorinvestorswhoonlybuyTreasuriesormortgagebondstoplaceacertainportionoftheirUS.investmentsinanaccountattheFederalReserve.RatherthanparktheirmoneyattheFed,CaballerocontendsthatmanyinvestorswillchoosetoputtheirmoneyintoriskierUS.investments.

“ThereisacrackintheUS.financialsystem,butit'

simportanttoaskwherethewaterthatcausedthecrackcamefrom,”saysCaballero.“TheonlywaytoreallymaketheUS.systemresilienttosystemicshocksistofixthesupplyside.”

LearningtoLiveandLoveinanEmptyNest

Thisweknow:

firstcomeslove,thencomesmarriage,thencomesbabyinababycarriage.Butwhathappenswhenbabygrowsupandmovesout?

Theanswer,increasingly,isparentscoughupcashtoattendanempty-nestworkshop.

There’sagrowingcottageindustryofexpertswhocontendthatsendingkidsoffintothegreatwideopendeservesatleastasmuchattentionaspreparingtohavetheminthefirstplace.Communitycentersandchurchesaroundthecountryaretuningintotheproblemandhostingseminarsinwhichparentstrytoreignitetheirrelationshipandfigureouthowtomoveforwardasatwosome.MarriagetherapistsClaudiaandDavidArpcallthisstage“thesecondhalfofmarriage.”

Therun-uptofreshmanyearincollegemaybesoexhausting（hip-hoplessons!

swimteam!

travelingsoccerleagues!

）thatparentsfeeltheyhardlyknoweachother—and,sometimes,themselves.“Oneofthemostcommonthingswehearis,‘we’resittingatthebreakfasttable,justbetwoofus,andwedon’tknowwhattotalkabout,’”saysDavidArp,wholedanempty-nesttrainingsessionwithhiswifelastmonthattheannualSmartMarriagesconferenceinOrlando,Fla.CarmenHough,55,whothisspringcompleteda12-weekworkshopinJonesboro,Ca.,putsitmorebluntly:

“Youonlyhave18yearswithyourchildren.Thenit’syouandyourhusband,andifhe’snotyourbestfriend,it’sgoingtotakeanadjustment.”

That’swheretheArps’book10GreatDatesforEmptyNesterscomesin.Itencouragescouplestogoondateswhere,inlieuofsmalltalk,theyworkthroughexercisesinthebook.（Theoriginal10GreatDatesisbeingusedat,amongotherplaces,NorthCarolina’sFortBragg,wheredeployingsoldiersaregivenacopytohelpkeepthemconnectedtotheirsweeties,albeitviavideo-conferencing.）Thedatesatedesignedforcouplestohashouthot-buttonissues—includingmoney,sexandanger—ortonegotiatenewhouseholdrolesthatt