英语考试需要的课文.docx

英语考试需要的课文.docx

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英语考试需要的课文

1.ClimateChangeWarIsFoughtattheLocalLevel

Cleanenergyprojectsareacentralissueinsmall-townAmerica

ByKentGarber

PostedApril19,2010

1.Inmid-March2008,BillKovacspulledintoaHolidayInninFargo,N.D.KovacsworksinWashington,D.C.,about1,300milesaway.He'sthetopenergylobbyistfortheU.S.ChamberofCommerce,whichrepresentssomeofthebiggestbusinessesinthecountry.Andtherehewas,travelingaroundthecountry,stoppingoffataHolidayInnhere,aRadissonthere,inNorthDakota,Montana,andanumberofotherstates,holdingforumsor"dialogues"withcommunityleadersandlocaltownspeopleonclimatechange.

2.InNorthDakota,Kovacscameinseveralweeksearlyforadayandtookaplanearoundwiththeleaderofoneofthecommunitybusinesschambers,poppingintodifferenttowns.Hewentonlocalradio,wherehestressedtheimportanceoffossilfuelsinthestate'seconomyanddrummeduppublicityfortheforum.Hopingtogivetheeventalocalflavor,herecruitedpartnersfromtheFargoareatoserveonapanel."Weweren'ttheretoproselytize,"hesaysofthechamber'srole.Nonetheless,hecamepreparedwith"18or19studies"todescribe,inhisview,thehigherenergycostsandlossofjobsthatwouldoccuriftheSenatepassedtheclimatelegislationitwasconsidering.

3.Hometownquarrel.Afterward,organizerspraisedtheeventasa"monumentalsuccess,"inpartbecauseitgeneratedan"enormousmediapush,"withdozensofarticles,newssegments,andradiointerviewsfromlocalsources.Theplannerswereoptimisticthatthestate'stwoDemocraticsenators,ByronDorganandKentConrad,werewatchingandwouldreconsidertheirsupportforclimatelegislation.Thebilldiedtwomonthslater,drownedoutbythepresidentialcampaign.

4.Thechamberstaged11sucheventsthatyear,mostinswingstates,beforetheeconomycollapsedandbeforePresidentObamagaveclimateadvocateshopethatsomeonewouldfinallytakeseriousactiononreducinggreenhousegases.Thechamber'sstrategy,though,wasinsomewaysprescient.EnergyandclimatelegislationpassedtheHousethisyearbutisstuckintheSenate,andit'simpossibleforanyonetopredictwhatwillactuallyhappen.It'snowclearthatWashingtonisonlyoneplacewherethisfightisplayingout,andarguablynotthemostimportantplace,either.Therealfight,increasingly,isatthelocallevel,inchainhotels,onradioshows,inmanufacturingandagriculturaldistrictsthatholdthebalanceofpoliticalpower.

5.NowhereisthisclearertodaythaninVirginia'sFifthDistrict,whichcoverssouthernandcentralpartsofthestate.ItscurrentrepresentativetoCongressisTomPerriello,aDemocratwhocameintoofficein2008afterbeatingtheRepublicanincumbentbyonly727votes.PerriellogrewupnearCharlottesville,hometotheUniversityofVirginia,andknowingboththeuniversity'senergyresearchcapacityandthedistrict'shistoryinagricultureandmanufacturing,hehasbeenahugeproponentofcleanenergy.LastJune,hevotedinfavoroftheHouse'snowstalledenergyandclimatebill,whichwouldhaveprovidedincentivesforrenewabletechnologiesandputacaponthecountry'scarbonemissions.

6.AroundthetimetheHousedebatestarted,Perriello'sofficebeganseeingattacksfromoppositiongroups.AWashington-basedlobbyingfirmforgedlettersallegingtobefromminoritygroupsinhisdistrict,urginghimtovoteagainstthebillbecauseofitspurportedeconomicimpact."Iwentoneveryconservativeradiostationinmydistrict,"saysPerriello."Iswungback."Sincethen,theRepublicanPartyhasbeentryingtoremindvotersofPerriello'svote,sensingwhatitseesaswidespreadoppositionamongvoterstotheDemocraticParty'splanforregulatingcarbonemissions.InFebruary,whenVirginiaandmuchofthemid-Atlanticwerehitbymajorsnowstorms,thestate'sRepublicanPartyputupanad,"12InchesofGlobalWarming,"mockingPerrielloforhisvote.

7.ButPerriellohasn'tchangedhisposition.Ifanything,hisreactionrepresentstheothernarrativethathasformedaroundtheissue:

theresponsetotheU.S.ChamberofCommerceandothergroupsthatclaimthatcappinggreenhousegasesinthemannerDemocratshaveproposedwillkilljobsandhurttheeconomy."Thisisanareathathaslosttensofthousandsofmanufacturingandagriculturejobsoverthelast20years,"hesays."Sothislatestrecessionwasjustthatforus—thelatestrecession.Itdidn'tcomeoutofnowhere.We'vebeenthinkingabouthowtorebrandtheSouthside[ofVirginia]asafutureenergycapitalforyears."

（FromUSNewsandWorldReport）

3.Children'sSleepProblemsMayBeTiedtoHeadaches,StomachPain

ByNancyShute

Posted:

December16,2009

1.Children'ssleepproblemsareahugeheadacheforfamilies;nowitlooksasifthesleepproblemsthemselvescouldbelinkedtoheadaches.

2.Childrenwhohavetroublefallingasleeporwakeupoftenatnightaremuchmorelikelytohaveheadachesortoregurgitatefood,accordingtoresearchpublishedintheJournalofClinicalSleepMedicine.Headachesweretwiceaslikelytooccurinchildrenwithsleepproblems;24percentofthosekidsreportedpain,comparedwith13percentofchildrenwithoutdisturbedsleep.And19percentofchildrenwithinsomniahadproblemswithregurgitation,comparedwith7.5percentofchildrenwithoutsleepproblems.

3.Thegoodnewsisthattreatingthemedicalconditionthatcausestheheadachesorstomachproblemsmaywellimprovechildren'ssleep.Thisstudy,conductedbyresearchersatPennStateCollegeofMedicineinHershey,Pa.,examined700childrenages5to12yearsandincludedaphysical,anovernightsleepstudy,andneuropsychologicaltesting.Apnea,bed-wetting,andpsychiatricandbehavioraldisorderswerealsoexaminedaspossiblecausesofsleepproblems,butasignificantconnectionwasfoundonlytogastrointestinalregurgitationandheadaches.

4.Thebigcaveatisthatit'simpossibletotellfromthisstudyifthesleepproblemsarecausingtheheadachesandstomachproblems,orviceversa.ButRaviSingareddy,anassistantprofessorofpsychiatrywholedthestudy,saysparentsshouldgetthemedicalcomplaintstreatedfirst.Onlyifthesleepproblemsdon'timprovewhenthemedicalproblemdiminishesshouldthesleepdisturbancebeassessedandtreated.

5.Ifyourchildstillneedshelpwithsleepproblems,behavioraltherapies,suchascognitivebehavioraltherapy,offersignificantlybettertreatmentthansleepingpills,accordingtoa2006analysisbytheAmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine.

13.HoustonCharterSends100PercentofGradstoFour-YearColleges

ByKennethTerrell

PostedSeptember3,2010

1.WhenHurricaneIkestruckHoustoninSeptember2008,itdroppedanotherhurdleinSamanthaMarquez'spathtocollege.Hermotherlostherjobatastorm-shutteredbusiness,forcingMarqueztogetapart-timejobatChuckE.Cheese'stohelpthefamily'sfinances."Wehadtousethemoneywehadbeensavingforcollegeforjuststartingover,"shesays.

2.Hardtimesdidn'tstopYESPrepgradSamanthaMarquez.

3.ThelatehoursatthepizzaparlorateawayathertimetostudyforthethreeAdvancedPlacementcoursesshewastakingatYESPrep,aninnovativeHoustonfreepubliccharterschoolthatrequiresstudentstoattendlongerschooldays（7a.m.to4:

30p.m.）,takesomeSaturdayclasses,anddocommunityservice.Marquezcouldhavegonetoalessdemandingschool,butYESPrep'strackrecordmadeitworththesweat.Inthepast10years,100percentofitsgraduateshavebeenacceptedtofour-yearcolleges.Marquezwasnotabouttobreakthattrackrecord."I'mgoingtocollege,"saysthefreshmanatAustinCollegeinSherman,Texas."Alotofmyotherfriendscan'tsaythat."

4.Thesuccessratewouldberemarkableforanypublichighschool,butthecompositionofYES'sstudentbodymakestheachievementevenmoreextraordinary.Morethan80percentofstudentsatYESPrepschoolsarefromeconomicallydisadvantagedhouseholds,90percentwillbethefirstintheirfamiliestoattendcollege,and95percentareHispanicorAfrican-American.Bytraditionalexpectations,thesearethestudentsleastlikelytosucceedintheclassroom,muchlessenrollinhighlyselectiveuniversitiessuchasStanford,Yale,andWakeForest.Butthrougharigorousacademiccourseloadandahands-onapproachtothecollegeadmissionsprocess,YESPrep—whichoperateseightcampusesintheHoustonarea—hasproveditpossiblefornontraditionalstudentstomarchofftothenation'selitecollegecampuses.

5.AfterspendingsixyearsteachinginaHoustonmiddleschool（twothroughtheTeachforAmericaserviceprogram）,ChrisBarbic,YESPrep'sfounderandCEO,realizedthateventhemostdedicatedteachershavealimitedimpact.Academicskillsachildpicksuponeyearcanbelostthenextschoolyearifthenextteacherisnotjustasdedicated."Yearafteryear,you'rebyyourselfworkingveryhardjusttohaveagreatyearforthatkid,"Barbicsays."Thatjustwasn'tenoughtomovetheneedleorgivethekidswhattheyneeded."

6.SoBarbicdecidedtostartacharterschoolwithsmallerclassesthatwouldpermitteacherstobuildrelationshipswithstudents."It'sverysmall,soeverybodyknowseachotherandtheteacherswereavailableallofthetime,"saysgraduateSussyAguirre,18,afreshmanatRiceUniversityinHouston.

7.ButperhapstherealrevolutionBarbiccreatedwasthepromisehisschoolsmadetothestateofTexasasarequirementoftheiroperatingagreement:

EverystudentfromYESPrep（forYouthEngagedinService）willgotoafour-yearcollege."Thatwastheguaranteeweneededtoholdthekidsandourselvesaccountable,"Barbic