Europe is not a gender-equality heaven. In particular, the corporate workplace will never be completely family-friendly until women are part of senior management decisions, and Europe’s top corporate-governance positions remain overwhelmingly male. Indeed, women hold only 14 percent of positions on Europe corporate boards.
The Europe Union is now considering legislation(立法) to compel corporate boards to maintain a certain proportion of women---up to 60 percent. This proposed mandate(强制执行) was born of frustration. Last year, Europe Commission Vice President Viviane Reding issued a call to voluntary action. Reding invited corporations to sign up for gender balance goal of 40 percent female board membership. But her appeal was considered a failure: only 24 companies took it up.
Do we need quotas(定量) to ensure that women can continue to climb the corporate Ladder fairly as they balance work and family?
“Personally, I don’t like quotas,” Reding said recently. “But I like what the quotas do.” Quotas get action: they “open the way to equality and they break through the glass ceiling(女性在工作中遇到的一种无形障碍),” according to Reding, a result seen in France and other countries with legally binding provisions on placing women in top business positions.
I understand Reding’s reluctance---and her frustration. I don’t like quotas either; they conflict with my belief in meritocracy(精英管理), government by the capable. But, when one considers the obstacles to achieving the meritocratic ideal, it does look as if a fairer world must be temporarily ordered.
After all, four decades of evidence has now shown that corporations in Europe as the US are evading the meritocratic hiring and promotion of women to top position---no matter how much “soft pressure” is put upon them. When women do break through to the summit of corporate power---as, for example, Sheryl Sandberg recently did at Facebook---they attract massive attention precisely because they remain the exception to the rule.
If appropriate pubic policies were in place to help all women---whether CEOs or their children’s caregivers---and all families, Sandberg would be no more newsworthy than any other highly capable person living in a more just society.
53. In the European corporate workplace, generally __________.
A. women take the lead
B. men have the final say
C. corporate governance is overwhelmed
D. senior management is family-friendly
54. According to Reding, quotas may help women __________.
A. get top business positions
B. see through the glass ceiling
C. balance work and family
D. anticipate legal results
55. The author’s attitude toward Reding’s appeal is __________.
A. skeptical B. objective C. indifferent D. approving
56. Women entering top management become headlines due to the lack of __________.
A. more social justice
B. massive media attention
C. suitable public policies
D. greater “soft pressure”
科目：高中英语 来源：2012届山东济宁梁山二中高三12月份质量检测英语试卷 题型：阅读理解
After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches (划痕) on their cars, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing--a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor (较小的) marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.
The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds “this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.”
Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they’re gone, there is no trace (痕迹) that they were ever there.
The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.
But the complete auto-healing won’t come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $ 100 US to the price of a car.
It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven’t been made yet, if it’s a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores as well.
【小题1】 From the article, we can find that_______.
| A．the paint has already been used on cars by now |
| B．the paint beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect |
| C．car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes |
| D．marketing this paint in Europe is not under way |
| A．last 3 years before it is re-applied again |
| B．fade only in a few days |
| C．help cars recover from minor paint damage |
| D．reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent |
| A．Certain models of Nissan. | B．Name for one kind of paint. |
| C．Somewhere in Japan. | D．A word standing for a car-dealer store. |
| A．The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company. |
| B．The paint might work better in summer than in winter. |
| C．The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the paint is applied. |
| D．The paint is very popular in Japan. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年江苏省无锡一中高二下学期期中考试英语卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
The summer of 2012 was full of reports of extreme weather: one of the warmest years on record in the US, the wettest summer in the UK, and the worst drought (旱灾) in East Africa. In short, extreme weather seems to be becoming the new normal. Weather extremes are not that extreme any more. Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires are the new reality of a warming world.
And this should not come as a surprise. Scientists have been warning for years that as the planet heats up, we will have to deal with more dreadful weather. Although not every extreme weather event is the result of climate change, scientists are now much more confident about connecting weather events with climate change. In 2011, the UK had a warm November. Researchers say that it was at least 60 times more likely to happen because of climate change than because of natural changes in the earth’s weather systems.
All the news shows that climate breakdown is occurring faster than most climate scientists had expected. But isn’t it too expensive to stop the climate from changing? Well, yes it costs. So everything is just as usual. It would be wrong to believe that to let things continue as they always do is the cheap choice. Instead, it is very expensive. Just one example: droughts in the US, Russia and the Ukraine sent food prices to a record high. According to the World Bank, the price for corn increased by 113% in some markets in Mozambique and in Sudan. This is the kind of cost that often gets ignored.
I believe intelligent climate action can help create new opportunities for jobs in Europe, for encouraging creativity and competitiveness, for spending less money on energy.
【小题1】According to the passage, in 2012 _____.
| A．the UK had a warm November | B．the US had many wildfires |
| C．the UK had a dry summer | D．East Africa had little rain |
| A．show a lot of people are hungry |
| B．prove food prices are very changeable |
| C．prove we’re paying for extreme weather |
| D．show it’s expensive to stop the climate from changing |
| A．Proper climate action will be useful. |
| B．Europe is providing limited job opportunities. |
| C．It’s everyone’s duty to protect the environment. |
| D．Everyone needs time to get used to extreme weather. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年山东济宁梁山二中高三12月份质量检测英语试题 题型：阅读理解
After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches (划痕) on their cars, Japan's Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing--a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor (较小的) marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.
The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds “this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.”
Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they're gone, there is no trace (痕迹) that they were ever there.
The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.
But the complete auto-healing won't come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $ 100 US to the price of a car.
It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven't been made yet, if it's a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores as well.
1. From the article, we can find that_______.
A. the paint has already been used on cars by now
B. the paint beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect
C. car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes
D. marketing this paint in Europe is not under way
2.The paint used on cars can_________.
A. last 3 years before it is re-applied again
B. fade only in a few days
C. help cars recover from minor paint damage
D. reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent
3.What does the underlined part refer to?
A. Certain models of Nissan. B. Name for one kind of paint.
C. Somewhere in Japan. D. A word standing for a car-dealer store.
4. What can be inferred from the article?
A. The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company.
B. The paint might work better in summer than in winter.
C. The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the paint is applied.
D. The paint is very popular in Japan.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011年吉林省高一下学期六月份月考英语题 题型：阅读理解
Europe is now the biggest market for organic food in the world, having grown by 25 percent a year over the past 10 years. Denmark’s agriculture minister is herself an organic farmer. The UK market for organic food grew by 55 percent in 2000, while the food market as a whole grew by only one percent. Yet only seven percent of British shoppers account for nearly 60 percent of organic sales. However popular the idea of organic farming may be, it is still an interest for only a few people.
So what makes the idea of organic farming popular? Organic farming means farming with natural materials, rather than with man-made fertilizers or pesticides. Organic farmers rely on many methods — such as crop rotation (农作物的轮作) and the use of resistant（有抵抗力的） varieties, because they are necessary for organic farmers to compensate for the shortage of man-made chemicals.
Organic farming is often supposed to be safer than traditional farming for the environment. Yet after a long research on organic farming worldwide for a number of years, science continues to be against this opinion. The House of Commons committee on agriculture publicized that, even with complete research work, it would fail to find any scientific evidence to prove “that any of claims （宣称） made for organic farming is always true”.
However, the talk about the benefits of organic farming is going on. This is partly because many people depend on their individual farm, the soil, the weather, and so on.
1.The first paragraph mainly tells us _____.
A. organic farming has been performed only in Europe over the past 10 years
B. governments of European countries have cared less about organic farming
C. organic farming is far from being as popular as expected
D. European countries need organic food more than the other countries in the world
2. The underlined words “compensate for” in the second paragraph probably mean “________”.
A. argue for B. care for C. struggle for D. pay for
3. What can we know about organic farming?
A. It refers to farming with natural materials, instead of chemical fertilizers.
B. It refers to farming with chemical fertilizers rather than natural fertilizers.
C. It refers to farming with soil rather than any other thing.
D. It refers to growing crops with man-made fertilizers and pesticides.
4.According to the third paragraph, _____.
A. organic farming is safer than traditional farming for the environment
B. the idea that organic farming is safer has not been proven by science
C. organic farming is accepted by the UK’s House of Commons committee
D. organic farming is preferred to traditional farming
5.Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
A. The UK’s agriculture minister is an organic farmer.
B. Organic farming is popular with young people.
C. Farmers make use of many different kinds of methods to improve the organic sales system.
D. Ninety-three percent of British shoppers don’t buy organic products.
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科目：高中英语 来源：20102011年辽宁省本溪市高二下期末考试英语试题 题型：阅读理解
BERLIN — With the crisis in Japan raising fears about nuclear power, Germany and Switzerland said on Monday that they would reassess（再次评估） the safety of their own reactors（[核] 反应堆）.
Doris Leuthard, the Swiss energy minister, said Switzerland would put off plans to build nuclear plants. She said no new ones would be permitted until experts had reviewed safety standards.
Germany will put off “the recently decided extension of the running time of German nuclear plants,” Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. “This moratorium（延缓）will run for three months and it will allow for a thorough examination of the safety standards of the county’s 17 nuclear power plants.
The European Union called for a meeting on Tuesday of nuclear safety authorities to assess Europe’s preparedness.
Germany’s foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, called for a new risk analysis of the country’s nuclear plants, particularly regarding their cooling systems. He is the leader of the Free Democratic Party, which strongly supports nuclear power.
A previous government, led by the Social Democrats, passed a law in 2001 to close all the country’s nuclear plants by 2021. But Mrs. Merkel’s government changed that decision last year to extend the lives of the plants by an average of 12 years.
In Switzerland, Doris Leuthard said she had already asked to analyze the exact cause of the problems in Japan and draw up new or tougher safety standards “particularly in terms of seismic(地震的，与地震相关的) safety and cooling.”
In Russia, the Prime Minister said his government would “draw conclusions from what’s going on in Japan.”
1. Where can you most likely read this passage?
|
A．In a newspaper. |
B．In a magazine. |
C．In a science report. |
D．In a diary. |
2.How will Germany react to Japan’s nuclear crisis?
|
A．Germany will close all the country’s nuclear plants. |
|
B．Germany will hold a meeting of nuclear safety authorities. |
|
C．Germany will change the decision made last year. |
|
D．Germany will delay the extension of nuclear plants running time. |
3.The author mentions all the following EXCEPT ______.
|
A．The moratorium in Germany will give time to examine the nuclear plants safety standards. |
|
B．Switzerland will not build new nuclear plants unless they meet the experts’ safety standards. |
|
C．The Social Democrats in Germany shares the same view with the Free Democratic Party. |
|
D．Russia will try to learn something from the nuclear power crisis in Japan. |
4.What is the best title of the passage?
|
A．Watch Out for the Danger of Nuclear Power |
|
B．Europe Is against Building Nuclear Plants |
|
C．Nuclear Plants in Europe Are Delayed |
|
D．Opinions on Nuclear Power Are Opposite |
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