Activists at the World Social Forum say globalization policies have
caused a greater inequality between the poorest and the richest
people in the world. The Forum met to find ways to support economic
policies based on the needs of poor people and the
environment.
United Nations studies show that the poorest twenty percent of the
world's people have lost half their share of the world's income
since Nineteen-Sixty. Their share of total world income dropped
from two-point-four percent to one-point-one percent. During the
same years, income increased for the richest twenty percent of the
population. The richest people increased their share of world
income from sixty-nine percent to eighty-six percent.
The World Social Forum brought together non-governmental groups,
local government leaders, students and professors. The meeting
organizers invited everyone who wanted to take part. About
ten-thousand people from all over the world attended the five-day
meeting.
The main idea for the conference was 'Another world is possible'.
The organizers planned three kinds of discussions. Some discussions
were very large and included everyone. Other discussions were for
economists, labor leaders, environmental activists and others to
compare methods and experiences. Still other discussions were
designed for people to plan ways to keep strong communication links
and to begin work on the next World Social Forum.
Task 2:
【答案】
A.
1) a
2) d
B.
1) F
2) T
3) F
4) F
5) T
【原文】
I needed to get some money, so, after Christmas, I took a job in
the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the
January sale. I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an
experience I’ll never forget.
I could never understand why there were many things in the sales;
where did they come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is
the special winter sack and the stock that people buy all the year
round; some of these things are slightly reduced. Secondly, there
are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year; these are
heavily reduced to clear them. Thirdly, there are cheap clothes
bought in especially for the sales; these are put at high prices
ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60% in the
sale. Clever! Lastly, they buy in “seconds”( clothes not in perfect
condition) for the sale and they are sold very cheaply.
When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the
sale, there were already queues around three sides of the building.
This made me very nervous.
When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards,
looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand.
The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors
for protection as the noisy crowd crowded in. I couldn’t believe my
eyes: this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield. One poor lady
couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from
behind.
Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the
sizes, colors and styles they wanted. Quarrels broke out. Mothers
were using their small children to craw through people’s legs and
get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves.
Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing under my nose,
each wanting to be the first served. Where had the famous queue
gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper! I
was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a
year, Graham’s is happy to turn the expensive store into a
battlefield like this.
In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without
thinking whether they needed what they were buying. As long as it
was bargain it was OK.
You won’t believe this, but as soon as I got home I crashed out for
four hours. Then I had dinner and went back to bed, feeling the
sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second
day of the sale.
Task 3:
【答案】
A.
Name of Product
|
Accepted(Yes/ No)
|
Reason Given
|
'Jumbo' rain gauge
|
Yes
|
Easy to read from the house
|
Self-balancing drinks
holder
|
Yes
|
Would appeal to people
|
Car-shaped slippers
|
Yes
|
Fun item
|
Aerated jeans
|
No
|
Wouldn't sell
|
Spectacles for dogs
|
No
|
Kept falling off
|
Luminous animal
collars
|
No
|
Material dangerous to
animals
|
Jumping balloon
|
No
|
Too dangerous
|
Motor-powered
roller-skates
|
No
|
Too dangerous
|
B.
a，b，c，e
【原文】
A: At home we all look forward to receiving the latest catalogue
from Eureka! We love reading it. Is that deliberate?
B: Oh yes! We write it so that it is humorous and fun to
read.
A: What do you look for in a product?
B: Well, basically we look for several things. Often it is a case
of a new way of looking at an existing problem.
A: Such as?
B: All kinds of things, but one I particularly like, because it is
so English, is the 'jumbo' rain gauge. As you know, a rain gauge
allows you to measure the amount of rain that falls on your garden.
However, this one made the catalogue because we loved the idea of a
gauge which was so big that it would be easy to read from the house
when it was raining. We also try to use innovative thinking from
the past in a lot of new inventions.
A: Can you give us an example?
B: Er, yes. One of our newer products is a really clever drinks
holder for the car. The inventor used the idea of a self-balancing
mechanism which is often used in ships, to create something that
always keeps your can, glass, or cup steady, even if you are
braking or turning sharply. It fixes to any convenient surface in
the car. We thought it would appeal to people who were tired of the
kind of mess you get when your passengers spill drinks.
A: What other criteria do you use for deciding which products to
include?
B: Well, 1 suppose the main consideration is whether the product
will sell or not However, we do like to include fun items, such as
a pair of car-shaped slippers which have headlights that switch on
when you step in. The light provides safety, but basically we
thought the slippers might appeal to people looking for a bit of
fun!
A: Do you get lots of ideas'?
B: We get thousands each year, and we can't include all of
them.
A: Can you remember any examples of things failed to make the
catalogue?
B: Oh, yes. There was the man who came in with the idea of aerated
jeans
A: What did they look like?
B: They looked like jeans with holes in them! We didn't think
anyone would buy them.
Another guy came in with spectacles
for dogs, and we had to reject those as well.
A: Why?
B: Well, they were basically a fashion item and they kept falling
off when we tried them on some dogs. We don't include anything that
we don't test thoroughly.
A: Are all these ideas that you reject silly ones?
B: No, far from it. We also had to mm down some luminous animal
collars which were designed to reflect lights in the dark. This was
a good idea, because the majority of cats and dogs which are lit by
cars are victims of drivers who don t see them until it s too late.
However, we discovered that the material used to reflect the light
was radioactive and dangerous to animals, and at the moment the
inventor is trying to find a safe alternative.
A: Is safety an important consideration?
B: Oh, yes. We can't market products that are likely to be unsafe.
For example, one man came to with a jumping balloon that is filled
with a special gas. You can jump up to 30 meters high with and we
thought this would be far too dangerous. We also had to turn down
some motor-power, roller-skates for the same reason.
Task 4:
【答案】
A.
1) Leaflets and free offers.
2) They do this in order to give a first impression of freshness
and brightness.
3) So that shoppers can be tempted by other goods they pass on the
way.
4) They do this so that shoppers have to spend more time looking
for the things they want to buy. This means more potential
buying.
B.
1) impulse buying
2) extra clean and hygienic
3) hot spots，more quickly
4) use trolleys
5) near checkouts
【原文】
A: Have you ever entered a store and come away with more than you
intended to buy? With the help of John Ellsworth from the
Consumer's Action Group, Streetwise reveals the selling techniques
that are designed to make you spend, spend, spend!
B: Well, some of the techniques such as leaflets, free offers and
other sales promotions are very obvious, but others are less
apparent.
A: For example...
B: Well, supermarkets know from their research that the idea of
'freshness' is important to customers even though most of the
things they sell, such as soap powders and tins, are clearly quite
different from this image. So they place their fruit and vegetables
near the entrance to give a first impression of freshness and
brightness. In addition, many larger stores have an in-store bakery
because the smell of fresh bread makes you hungry, and encourages
impulse buying. The smell also attracts you into the store! They
also use high intensity lights which make the shop seem extra clean
and hygienic.
A: I get annoyed because I have to go through the whole store to
get the things I want.
B: That's deliberate. Supermarkets are laid out to make you pass as
many shelves as possible. This is why the entrance corridor usually
goes straight to the back of the store, blocking any short-cuts to
the check-outs.
A: Why does it take me so long to get the things I really
need?
B: When people go to a supermarket their plan is often to buy
things like bread, butter, eggs and so on, so these staples and
other cheaper items are separated and placed throughout the
store—often a long way from the entrance so that shoppers can be
tempted by the other goods they pass on the way.
A: I've noticed that they often place bargains at the, end of
aisles.
B: Ah yes. The end of aisles are called' hot spots because products
here sell twice as quickly as anywhere else. Supermarkets use these
to display products they want to sell quickly. They work because
shoppers have to slow down in order to mm into the next aisle so
there is more time to catch their attention.
A: I find I get used to the layout and then they change it.
B: Some shoppers get into a routine and walk past tempting goodies,
and that is why some supermarkets change the layout from time to
time, so that shoppers have to spend more time looking for the
things that they came in, to buy. You see, the longer you spend in
the shop, the higher your bill will be. Of course this doesn’t
always work because some people get annoyed and impatient. They may
even leave!
A: It is so difficult wheeling a huge trolley around when the store
is crowded.
B: The trolleys are about a third bigger than they were ten years
ago Supermarkets like people to use trolleys rather than baskets,
because most people stop when the basket is full. Larger trolleys
encourage you to buy more.
A: I see! Do you approve of these sales techniques?
B: I think we can all benefit from some of them. I mean shopping is
a lot more pleasant than it was a few years ago, isn't it? However,
it's worth being aware of what's happening so that you can get some
of the worst practices changed. For example, in some supermarkets
you will find chocolates and sweets placed near check-outs so that
parents bay them for bored children. In others, they have been
removed because customers complained. If you know what they are up
to, it might help you to resist temptation the next time, or at
least inject some fun into your next visit. See how many techniques
you can spot in your local store!
Task 5:
【答案】
A.
1) They always came up with some suggestion.
2) They wanted to show that they had done what they had been asked
to and the proposal was important to them.
3) They thought that their Japanese counterparts were finding fault
in their proposals.
4) She doesn’t think that there are such things as universal
management “truths”.
B.
I.
an individual，a collectivity
II.
holistic，break
【原文】
Patricia: There are numerous cases of culture getting in the way of
ordinary business practices. Even the ways in which meetings are
run, decisions made, memos written and titles used will vary
depending on the culture. Sam Heltman, head of human resources for
Toyota Motor Manufacturing in Kentucky (USA), explained how
American managers initially misinterpreted the behavior of Japanese
managers they worked with.
Heltman: Initially some people thought that the Japanese managers
were picking apart their proposals and even perhaps being overly
critical. But what we didn't realize at the time was that if you go
to Japanese managers and ask their opinion about a proposal you've
given them, if they don't give you something, they're going to feel
that they haven't done what you’ve asked of them. so even if they
have to struggle to think of something they'll come up with a
suggestion. As a manager, I was more accustomed that if someone
brought mc a recommendation and ill was 95 percent OK with it, I
bought it just to make them feel good. It’s just the opposite for
them. If they didn't say something, they would think that you would
feel that it wasn't important to them.
Patricia: Tadao Taguchi, chairman and chief executive officer of
Toshiba America Inc., explains that even the difference between
Japan and the USA in addressing business letters reveals a great
deal about their ways of viewing the world.
Taguchi: In the USA, you first put the individual's status (Mr. or
Ms., and so on), then their first name and then last name. The next
line is the company name, then the person's title. Next comes the
address, city, state and finally the country. In Japan, it is the
opposite. First comes the country, then the city and address. Next
you put the company name, followed by the last name of the
individual to whom you are writing. The last thing is the
individual's name.
Patricia: This example is illustrative on two levels, in the USA,
individuals identify primarily with being an individual and then
with their family, company, religion or some other larger group. In
Japan, it is the opposite. Individuals identify primarily with a
collectivity—their larger national group, the company they work
for, their family—and then with being an individual. Consider the
fact that the nearest word to 'T' in the Japanese language
translates roughly as 'self among others'. Mr. Taguchi's example
also illustrates another difference in the two cultures' approaches
to solving problems. The Japanese tend to be more holistic in
approaching problems, whereas Anglo-Saxon cultures tend to break a
problem down into pieces and then work back toward a whole. The
ineffectiveness of ordinary business practices in a different
culture casts doubt on the usefulness of thinking about management
as a set of 'truths' that can be applied uniformly anywhere in the
world. If everyday business practices are so culturally dependent,
how universal can other, more sophisticated management practices
be?
Task 6:
【答案】
A.
1) a，c
2) a，b
B.
1) It will focus on the role of government in the Information Age
economy.
2) The changes, especially in the global economy and in the
technologies of the information revolution.
3) It cannot hope to keep up/survive/succeed.
4) He wants to show that the information revolution is reaching
every corner of the globe.
5) Half or more of the cost.
【原文】
Good morning and welcome to this 'first of its kind' 21st Century
hearing on the 21st Century economy.
America and the world are embarking on a journey into a new age of
human endeavor and achievement. This era will experience tremendous
change in every aspect of our lives. We are already witnessing
unparalleled change in the global economy, in technology and
communications, in business and industry, and in communities and
families.
These changes mean that Industrial Age government is obsolete.
Government in the Information Age must become dramatically smarter,
smaller, and simpler. An Information Age government shouldn't just
be more efficient in meeting Industrial objectives, as some
propose. Instead, government must be redesigned and its policies
reformed to maximize freedom for innovators and entrepreneurs, and
to build new avenues for individual creativity and prosperity. If
we can successfully redesign our government, especially its
economic policies, then the new technologies of today and tomorrow
will help create a world of unprecedented economic opportunity and
prosperity for future generations.
Today, we will explore society's transition into this new era and
focus on the role of government in the Information Age economy.
Maybe the most fundamental and profound fact of the technological
change we are witnessing is that the power of the compute chip now
doubles every year and a half. That pace will get even faster. In
the next ten years, micro chip power will increase by a million
times. And the power of global computer networks increases
geometrically as millions of new users are linked together every
month.
What does that mean for government? It means a bureaucratic,
heavy-handed, Industrial Age government can't hope to keep up.
Today's government is trying to manage yesterday's economy. That is
not only a waste of increasingly scare resources, it creates
barriers to future growth and prosperity. Clearly, a government
built on old notions of regulation and control cannot hope to
survive, much less succeed in an environment of ever-expanding
individual freedom in the Information Age.
Today's hearing is a modest example of how the technologies of the
information revolution are changing American government. This is
the first Congressional hearing to make full use of the interactive
video conference technology. Seven out of ten witnesses are
testifying from remote locations around the nation and abroad over
an interactive audio/video network. We are being transcribed onto
the Internet and invite the C-SPAN and on-line audience to submit
questions to the Committee.
I'd especially like to note the locations of two of our witnesses:
Paul Johnson is testifying from London, England and Congressman Bob
Walker from Ephrata, Pennsylvania. I point these out to emphasize
that the information revolution is already reaching ever corner of
the globe, from the biggest cities to the smallest towns. As long
as we avoid creating artificial barriers to the information
transformation, no one will be left behind as we embark on this
exciting journey into the Information Age.
I can foresee future hearing in which all the witnesses testify
from their homes and all Americans will be able to participate. And
we'll cut the costs of these hearings by half or more compared to
the traditional way. For example, we’ve cut the cost of today's
hearing in half by using interactive technology rather than
bringing everyone to the nation's capital.
Task 7:
【答案】
A.
1) Microeconomic and macroeconomic policies.
2) He covers two main areas: efficiency and equity.
B.
I. efficiency
A. help，regulate
B. goods and services
1. non-commercial
2. Nationalizing
3. Privatizing/Denationalizing
II.
A. Redistributing
B. at less than cost
C.
1) T
2) F
3) T
4) F
5) T
6) F
7) T
8) T
9) T
10)T
【原文】
Economic policy in the UK should be considered within the framework
provided by economic theory. There are two distinct sets of
policies that the government operates: One is microeconomic
policies. These relate to the allocation of resources, from the
viewpoints of efficiency and equity. The other is macroeconomic
policies. These relate to the economy as a whole and concern one or
more bf the following: general level of unemployment, general level
of prices, rate of economic growth, and balance of payments.
The instruments of economic policy used by the UK government are
many and varied. Today would mention some of the major policy areas
here. First, let s look into the measures that are related to
efficiency.
Many of the policies in this category are directed to the private
sector of the economy, where the state engages in interventionist
actions to help certain industries and to regulate others. For
example there are subsidies for industries in need of special
assistance (e.g. agriculture); loans, grants and subsidized
consultancy services for small businesses; taxes to control
pollution and discourage the smoking of cigarettes, measures to
influence the regional location of industry; agencies for the
investigation of monopolies, mergers and restrictive business
practices which diminish industrial competitiveness. There are also
specialized agencies, e.g. for regulating financial services;
maintaining quality standards—especially in the case of dangerous
products.
A major policy for economic efficiency is where the state itself
engages in the provision of certain goods and services because, for
one reason or another, private sector production is considered to
be inappropriate. Examples under this head include the provision of
the army, navy and air force for national defense, of the police
and law courts for the administration of justice, and extensive
parts of health and education services. These are, in the main,
non-commercial activities financed by the state out of general
revenues and provided free to the community.
However, there is another group, known as the nationalized
industries, which are owned and operated by the state and which
levy charges for their services. In the UK, nationalized
industries, which possess some characteristics of commercial
enterprises, have been run by specialized agencies called public
corporations. They enjoy a considerable degree of independence in
the conduct of their day-to-day affairs, though they are subject to
ultimate ministerial control.
The first nationalized industries appeared well before the Second
World War, but the major period of extension of public ownership of
industry in Britain occurred between 1945 and 1951. This was the
first time that the Labor Party had held a majority, of seats in
the House of Commons, and coal, electricity, gas, the railways and
steel were taken into public ownership.
Nationalization was, of course, a matter with strong political
implications. It was, nevertheless accepted by both Conservative
and Labor governments from 1945 until the 1970s. From that time on,
a dramatic shift in emphasis took place. Three Conservative
governments under the premiership of Margaret Thatcher and a fourth
under John Major began to place much greater reliance on the
working of market forces. They set off a major policy reversal with
a programme for returning many of the nationalized industries to
private ownership.
Such denationalization formed part of the policy better
known as privatization. The largest transfers have been of
telecommunications (British Telecom), gas, airlines (British
Airways), steel, water and electricity, with railways and coal on
the agenda for the present decade. Several of the privatized
industries retained elements of natural monopoly and their transfer
to private ownership was accompanied by the establishment of
entirely new agencies to oversee their activities in the public
interest, especially with regard to the prices of their products.
Quantitatively, the effects of the policy can be illustrated by the
fact that employment in the nationalized industries fell from a
figure representing 8 percent of the labor force to less than 3
percent during the decade 1980—1990.
Second, the UK government adopts measures that are related to
equity. It tries to make the allocation of resources among
individuals fairer, i.e. more equitable. Two types of instrument
are available. One is directed to redistributing income, leaving
people free to decide how to spend it in their own best interests.
The other provides certain goods and services free, or at less than
cost, to all who want them, regardless of income. Two ways of
redistributing are of prime importance: One is the levying of
taxes, especially on income earned and capital owned by
individuals. Redistribution is enhanced if taxes are
progressive—taking higher proportions of income of the rich than of
the poor. The other is to provide so-called transfer benefits to
persons in cash—e.g. retirement pensions, unemployment benefit, and
in kind—e.g. education and health. Some benefits aim to
redistribute resources in the direction of greater equality by
being targeted at the poor, though this necessarily requires them
to be 'means-tested'. Third, since the Second World War,
governments...
