Leaders of the Group of Eight Major Industrialized Nations (G8) will meet in Scotland in July this year. Representatives from China, India, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil have also been invited. Here's what the G8 leaders want from the meeting.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair wants the G8 to cancel debt to the world's poorest countries. He wants them to double aid to Africa to 50 billion pounds by 2010. He has also proposed reducing subsidies to Western farmers and removing restrictions on African exports. This has not got the approval of all members because it will hurt their agricultural interests. On climate change, Blair wants concerted (共同的) action by reducing carbon emissions (排放).
US President George W. Bush agrees to give help to Africa. But he says he doesn't like the idea of increasing aid to countries as it will increase corruption. Bush said he would not sign an agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions at the summit, according to media. The US is the only G8 member not to have signed the Kyoto Protocol (《京都议定书》). Although the US is the world's biggest polluter, Bush so far refuses to believe there is sufficient scientific data to establish beyond a doubt that there is a problem.
French President Jacques Chirac supports Blair on Africa and climate change. He is determined to get the US to sign the climate change deal.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder remains doubtful of Blair's Africa proposals. Schroder's officials have dismissed the notion that money will solve Africa's problems as "old thinking." Berlin says that African states should only receive extra money if they can prove they've solved the corruption problem.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was doubtful about the value of more aid to Africa. But he has seen a way to make this work to his advantage. Putin intends to use the aid to Africa as a springboard (跳板) next year to propose aid to the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Moldova.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's priorities are a seat on the UN Security Council, for which he will be lobbying (游说) at the summit. And he's concerned about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's nuclear weapons programme.
1. The G8 countries include China, India, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
2. Blair hopes that the G8 countries will work together to reduce carbon emissions.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
3. India has accepted the invitation to attend the G8 meeting.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
4. Bush agrees to increase aid to Africa.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
5. Chirac takes a stand similar to Blair's on Africa and climate change.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
6. According to media, Bush will sign the Kyoto Protocol at the summit.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
7. Japan will reject Blair's proposal to increase aid to Africa.
A. Right
B. Wrong
C. Not mentioned
[词汇提示]
concerted v. 共同的
emissions n. 排放
Kyoto Protocol 京都议定书
springboard n. 跳板
lobbying n. 游说
[高频考点]
考点1:细节信息的查找和确认;
考点2:推断能力。
[主旨大意]
第一段主要说明了八个工业化国家将于今年的7月份在苏格兰会面,并邀请了一些发展中国家的领导人。
第二段主要说英国首相布莱尔对贫困和气候变化的一些倡议。
第三段主要说美国总统布什不愿意增加对非洲等贫困国家的援助,而且拒绝签署《京都议定书》。
第四段主要说法国总统支持英国首相布莱尔的倡议。
第五段主要说德国总理施罗德仍然对英国首相布莱尔的倡议感到怀疑。
第六段主要说俄国总统普京对英国首相布莱尔的倡议感到怀疑,但是他打算资助非洲等贫困国家。
最后一段主要说日本首相小泉纯一郎想使日本成为联合国安全理事会的成员国。
[长难句结构解析]
1. Here's what the G8 leaders want from the meeting. 这个句子虽然很短,但是我们得了解这其中的两个小点。
(1)here提前放在句首,表示的是一个非常简单的倒装句,目的在于强调下文要讲述的内容。例:Here comes the bus. 公交车来了。我们通常见的there be句型事实上也是倒装句。
(2)首先what放在be动词后面,be动词后面的成分作的是表语,故what引导的是一个表语成分。考生要记住,从句在句子中作什么成分,就是什么从句。例:What he said is right. 此处what引导的是主语从句,因为它在这个句子作的是主语。
(3)参考译文:以下就是八国领导人想从会议上得到的。
2. Putin intends to use the aid to Africa as a springboard (跳板) next year to propose aid to the former Soviet republics of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Moldova. 这个句子没有比较难的结构,我们来说几个词的用法。
(1)intend是一个动词,intend to:打算去做……。
(2)aid是一个名词,意为“援助,帮助”。foreign aid:外国援助;first aid:急救,急救护理。
(3)propose是一个动词,意为“建议,提供”。当propose作“建议”讲用在it is proposed that...这个句型时,that从句后面的动词要用should+动词原形的形式,这是一个虚拟语气的句子。
(4)Soviet republics:苏联加盟共和国,它在1991年年底解体,分出去的国家也就是现在的格鲁吉亚、亚美尼亚、乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、摩尔多瓦等国家。
(5)参考译文:明年普京打算把对非洲的援助作为跳板来援助前苏联加盟共和国——格鲁吉亚、乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、摩尔多瓦。
[答案解析]
1.B。[解析]由专有名词G8以及题目中出现的中国、印度、墨西哥、南非和巴西这几个国家回到原文,很轻松就可以确定到第一段:Representatives from China, India, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil have also been invited. 文章意思是说中国、印度等国的代表也受到邀请,证明它们不是成员国。故答案为B。
2.A。[解析]依据题干的主语Blair,我们回到原文去定位,很轻松可以找到答案出自第二段:On climate change, Blair wants concerted (共同的) action by reducing carbon emissions (排放)。布莱尔希望可以通过共同的努力来减少二氧化碳的排放,故答案为A。
3.C。[解析]依据题干的主语India,我们回到原文去定位,第一段:Representatives from China, India, Mexico, South Africa and Brazil have also been invited. 原文只是说印度受到邀请,但并未说明印度接受邀请,故答案为C。
4.B。[解析]依据题干的主语Bush,我们回到原文去定位,很容易发现第三段有相关的信息:But he says he doesn't like the idea of increasing aid to countries as it will increase corruption. 布什不愿意增加对非洲的资助,故答案为B。
5.A。[解析]依据题干的主语Chirac,我们回到原文去定位,很容易发现第四段有相关的信息:French President Jacques Chirac supports Blair on Africa and climate change. Chirac支持布莱尔对非洲和气候改变的相关主张,这跟题干所表达的意思是一致的,故正确答案为A。
6.B。[解析]依据题干的主语Bush和Kyoto Protocol,我们回到原文去定位,发现第三段有相关信息:The US is the only G8 member not to have signed the Kyoto Protocol (《京都议定书》). Although the US is the world's biggest polluter, Bush so far refuses to believe there is sufficient scientific data to establish beyond a doubt that there is a problem. 美国是目前G8成员国中唯一没有签署《京都议定书》的国家,并且目前也拒绝相信碳排放会带来相关问题。题干所陈述部分与原文信息不符,故答案为B。
7.C。[解析]依据题干的主语Japan和Blair,我们回到原文去定位,不难看出文章最后一段叙述了日本的态度,但是原文并未提到日本是否会拒绝布莱尔的提案。故答案为C。