雅思閱讀資料大集合
為了幫助大家在備考雅思閱讀的時(shí)候能夠多多練習(xí)一些材料,下面小編給大家?guī)硌潘奸喿x資料大集合。
雅思閱讀材料大集合:誰來解救烏克蘭
The Ukrainian crisis is quickly becoming a geostrategic conflict. The Crimean parliament's declaration of independence from Ukraine ahead of the March 16 referendum indicates Crimea may possibly join Russia. As Russian President Vladimir Putin maneuvers to restore Russia's right to behave with a superpower's impunity-particularly in its own backyard-the West pushes back.
But economic forces also have shaped this confrontation, especially Ukraine's record as the world's worst performing industrial economy over the last 20 years.
It was popular discontent with this disastrous performance that fomented the recent dissent. This, in turn, triggered a bloody response from ousted Crimean President Viktor Yanukovych. His response consolidated the opposition-and ultimately cost Yanukovych his job.
Beyond this week's political and military maneuvers, the outstanding question is: Who will bail out the Ukrainian economy? Russia, or the EU and the United States? A bailout will be the price of drawing Ukraine into one of the two trading systems on offer.
Stated simply, Ukraine is the economic equivalent of a failed state. After gaining independence in 1991, the country moved briefly to liberalize its economy along the same lines as most of Eastern and Central Europe.
However, Ukraine soon jettisoned its reforms in favor of the state-oligarch model, which was also evolving in Russia. Some 20 years later, Ukraine's GDP has shrunk 30 percent.
Even Russia's sorry economy is 20 percent larger than it was in 1991. And Poland's economy, which looked much like Ukraine's in 1991, has grown 130 percent over the same period.
Ukraine's economic performance has been so terrible and for so long that its sovereign debt issues are now considered the equivalent of junk bonds. Even before the crisis, Ukraine's credit rating was worse than Greece's. And it was no better than that of Argentina, a global financial pariah for its mismanaged debt defaults and summary expropriations of foreign-owned companies.
Ukraine's debts will soon be due, with some billion in sovereign bonds maturing this year and another billion in 2015. With a current account deficit equal to 8 percent of its GDP, Ukraine cannot pay off and refinance those debts without large-scale aid- billion to billion-and affiliating itself with a larger trading system.
An economic and trade alliance with Russia would deliver the bailout, but with little prospects of improving the underlying economy.
The European Union and the United States (through the International Monetary Fund) also are prepared to provide the bailout if the Ukrainian government accepts far-reaching economic reforms. The EU-US/IMF reforms should lead to better economic times down the road.
But they also would mean more short-term hardships for ordinary Ukrainians. That's why Yanukovych sided with Putin.
With a new, pro-Western government in charge in Kiev, Ukraine's fate may well lie in the hands of Europe and the United States. Their choice is simple to state, if difficult to execute: Do they put sufficient economic and diplomatic pressure on Putin, to convince him to pocket his own bailout-and let the West pick up the pieces?
The author is co-founder and chairman of Sonecon, LLC, a private company that advises US and foreign businesses, governments and non-profit organizations.
烏克蘭危機(jī)正迅速成為一個(gè)地緣戰(zhàn)略沖突。克里米亞脫離烏克蘭的獨(dú)立宣言是要表明克里米亞真有可能入俄。俄羅斯總統(tǒng)弗拉基米爾·普京竭力恢復(fù)俄羅斯超級大國免責(zé)權(quán)——尤其在自家后院——西方國家則迎頭反擊。
烏克蘭的經(jīng)濟(jì)狀況也引發(fā)了這一沖突,烏克蘭過去20年淪為世界上最落后的工業(yè)化國家。
正是民眾對經(jīng)濟(jì)糟糕狀況的不滿激起了最近這場抗議活動。反過來,這又引發(fā)時(shí)任總統(tǒng)維克多·亞努科維奇的殘酷鎮(zhèn)壓,反對派于是眾志成城最終把亞努科維奇趕下了臺。
除了經(jīng)濟(jì)軍事較量,最突出的問題是:誰將解救烏克蘭經(jīng)濟(jì)?俄羅斯、歐盟還是美國?解救烏克蘭的代價(jià)便是把烏克蘭帶入其中一個(gè)現(xiàn)有的貿(mào)易體系。
簡單地說,烏克蘭經(jīng)濟(jì)上等同于失敗的國家。1991年獨(dú)立后,該國迅速實(shí)行經(jīng)濟(jì)自由化,但很快放棄了改革,轉(zhuǎn)投國家寡頭政治模式,而當(dāng)時(shí)這也在俄羅斯盛行。大約20年后,烏克蘭GDP縮水30%。
即便糟糕的俄羅斯經(jīng)濟(jì)也比1991年增長了20%。與此同時(shí),1991年酷似烏克蘭狀況的波蘭經(jīng)濟(jì)同期增長130%。
如今,烏克蘭國債已被視為垃圾債券。即使在危機(jī)之前,烏克蘭信貸評級比希臘還要低,比阿根廷也好不到哪里去。阿根廷由于管理不當(dāng),拖欠債務(wù)并沒收外資企業(yè),淪為全球金融棄兒。
烏克蘭150多億美元國債將在今年到期,還有150億美元2015年到期。目前烏克蘭經(jīng)常賬戶赤字相當(dāng)于GDP的8%。如果沒有巨額援助-200億美元到250億美元-或不加入到一個(gè)更大的貿(mào)易體系中,烏克蘭不可能籌資償還債務(wù)。
成為俄羅斯的經(jīng)濟(jì)貿(mào)易盟友會保證得到救助,但經(jīng)濟(jì)根本改善的希望渺茫。
如果烏克蘭政府愿意接受廣泛深度的經(jīng)濟(jì)改革,歐盟和美國(通過國際貨幣基金組織)也愿意提供救助金。這應(yīng)該會帶來更好的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。
但與西方聯(lián)合也意味著普通烏克蘭人會陷入更多的短期困境。這也是為什么亞努科維奇站在普京一邊。
隨著基輔親西方政府執(zhí)政,烏克蘭的命運(yùn)很有可能掌握在歐洲和美國的手中。他們的選擇簡單但難以實(shí)施:用足夠的經(jīng)濟(jì)外交壓力迫使普京收回自己的救助資金,而讓西方國家來收拾殘局?
作者羅伯特·夏皮羅是Sonecon董事長。Sonecon是一家私人公司,主要向美國和外國企業(yè),政府和非盈利性組著提供咨詢服務(wù)。
雅思閱讀材料大集合:異地戀攻略
說到異地戀,很多人都認(rèn)為那是令愛情走到絕境的毒藥,到底我們該不該相信異地戀,異地戀情會有好結(jié)果嗎?面對距離,我們應(yīng)該望而卻步還是勇往直前?來聽聽幾位異地戀情侶的親身經(jīng)歷,讓你們的愛情加溫!
With her roommates out on a date, Meng Xiangying was alone in her dormitory on Sunday afternoon. At 3 pm the 22-year-old economics major at Lanzhou University took out a few snacks and started watching her favorite TV series.
一個(gè)周日的下午,室友們都出去約會了,宿舍中只留下孟湘英(音譯)一個(gè)人。下午三點(diǎn),這位22歲的蘭州大學(xué)經(jīng)濟(jì)系學(xué)生拿出幾袋零食,開始追自己喜歡的電視劇。
At the same time, Hu Yuntian at Nanjing Tech University started to watch the same video, eating the same snacks. “It’s like we’re together,” says the 22-year-old. This is the couple’s way to bridge the distance.
同一時(shí)間,南京理工大學(xué)學(xué)生胡云天(音譯)也在追同一部劇,吃著同樣的零食。22歲的他說:“這種感覺就好像我們在一起一樣?!彼麄冇眠@種方式來縮短彼此的距離。
Long-distance relationships can be challenging, but like Meng and Hu, many college students find ways to make it work.
盡管異地戀并不輕松,但像孟湘英和胡云天這樣的大學(xué)生情侶們找到許多戰(zhàn)勝距離的方法。
He Yi, 22, is an English major at Tsinghua University. After being together with her boyfriend from Xi’an Electronic and Engineering University for three years, she concludes that their strategy is good communication. “We use WeChat and QQ every day to share our experiences and thoughts,” She says. “When we’re physically apart, it’s important to maintain an emotional bond.”
22歲的清華大學(xué)英語系學(xué)生何怡(音譯)和就讀于西安電子科技大學(xué)的男友交往三年了。她總結(jié)到,他們維持戀情的策略便是保持良好的溝通?!拔覀兠刻焱ㄟ^微信和QQ來分享各自的經(jīng)歷和想法,”她說,“分隔兩地時(shí),維系情感紐帶變得十分重要?!?/p>
雅思閱讀材料大集合:受傷松鼠寄居非洲女孩頭發(fā)2個(gè)月
A teenage girl from Zimbabwe is rearing an abandoned baby squirrel - in her hair. Abby Putterill, 16, says Hammy, a mopane squirrel, climbed into her tied-up hair one day and decided to stay.
津巴布韋16歲女孩艾比·普達(dá)魯爾飼養(yǎng)了一只被遺棄的小松鼠,這個(gè)小家伙就在艾比的頭發(fā)里安了家,艾比給它起名哈米。艾比說,哈米和她一見如故,一下就鉆進(jìn)了她綁起的頭發(fā)里賴著不走了。
The schoolgirl and her furry companion have been together for two months - and he is thriving. Hammy was just days old when he was found on the cold office floor of the Bally Vaughan Wildlife Sanctuary.
艾比和她毛茸茸的小伙伴已經(jīng)朝夕相處兩個(gè)月了——小家伙開始長大了。哈米被發(fā)現(xiàn)的時(shí)候躺在巴利野生動物保護(hù)站冷冰冰的地板上,那時(shí)它才剛出生幾天。
Abby's mother Debbie Putterill, who co-owns the park with husband Gordon, took the baby back to her home.
艾比的母親黛比和父親高登共同經(jīng)營這家保護(hù)站,他們首先發(fā)現(xiàn)了哈米并把它帶回了家。
To the amazement of the family, Hammy made for her daughter, climbed on to her head and snuggled in to her hair. Abby wears her hair in a loose ponytail which she usually has tied up at the back, making a wonderful home-from-home for Hammy.
讓這家人很意外的是,哈米徑直跳到艾比身上,爬進(jìn)了艾比的頭發(fā)里。艾比當(dāng)時(shí)像平常一樣,后腦勺松松的綁了個(gè)馬尾,正好適合哈米安家。
Barring sleeping and showering, the squirrel and the schoolgirl are practically inseparable. Mrs Putterill said: 'He's doing really well and is growing up so quickly.
除了睡覺和洗澡,哈米和艾比幾乎形影不離。艾比的母親說:“小家伙生活的非常好,長得也快?!?/p>
'When we first found him he was lying on the concrete floor of the office. He must have fallen out of the thatched roof after being abandoned.'
“第一次發(fā)現(xiàn)哈米的時(shí)候,它在硬邦邦的地板上躺著,一定是被遺棄后從茅草屋頂上掉了下來。”
'If we hadn't taken him in he would have died because he was only around ten days old.'
“如果不是我們發(fā)現(xiàn)了它,它可能已經(jīng)死了,畢竟它才出生10天左右?!?/p>
The youngster was nursed back to health on a diet of baby formula and cereal, regaining his strength and quickly becoming a member of the family.
哈米靠著嬰兒配方奶粉和麥片恢復(fù)了健康,成為了艾比家庭中的一員。
Mrs Putterill added: 'When he was tiny he refused to sleep anywhere else but on the palm of your hand but as he got older he started treating us like trees, burrowing under our clothes.
艾比的母親補(bǔ)充道:“一開始,小哈米愿意睡覺的地方只有手掌,長大一點(diǎn)后,它就把我們當(dāng)成樹了,成天往衣服里鉆?!?/p>
'We've never had a squirrel do this before and it's really quite funny to see but he's happy enough to lie there and watch the world go by.'
“我們從來沒遇到過這樣的松鼠,不過也確實(shí)很有趣。躺在艾比的頭發(fā)里,它很開心,也能看到周圍的世界。”
雅思閱讀材料大集合:如何做一個(gè)早起鳥
At 6 AM, most of us are lucky if we have the energy to reach for a cup of coffee. Mornings may be rough, but hold off on sleeping in. There are perks to waking up with the sun, and we've got some tips on making it easier.
早上6:00,大部分人估計(jì)都沒那本事爬起來沖杯咖啡吧?早上是痛苦的,賴床怎么也賴不夠。不過,還是有辦法能讓你伴著陽光醒來的,下面這些建議,就能讓你早起更輕松!
Snooze and Lose: The Need to Know
貪睡與損失:你有必要知道
The old “I’m just too tired” complaint may be more than a sorry excuse for waking up late. Research suggests there are biological differences between early larks, who wake up at the same time every morning and feel most active around 9 AM, and night owls, who get more stuff done once the sun goes down. And it may get easier to greet the day at dawn as we get older, thanks to body clock changes as we age .
那句“我只是太累了”的爛熟抱怨或許不只是晚起的借口那么簡單。研究表明,“早起鳥”和“夜貓子”在生物上有著很多區(qū)別?!霸缙瘌B”每天早上同一時(shí)間清醒,上午9:00時(shí)大腦最為活躍;而“夜貓子”的辦事效率則在太陽落山后更高。而且,老了以后或許會更容易適應(yīng)凌晨就醒的狀態(tài),畢竟人體生物鐘也會隨著年齡增大而發(fā)生變化。
It turns out the early bird may get more than the worm. According to self-reports from college students, those who wake up earlier feel more optimistic and proactive than those who rise later. Other studies have found morning larks tend to be harder working and conscientious than night owls. (Still, it’s not clear whether waking up early actually makes someone more productive or optimistic.)
事實(shí)證明,早起的鳥兒或許真的就能吃到更多的蟲子。根據(jù)大學(xué)生的自我報(bào)告,早起的人比晚起的人要更樂觀積極。其他研究也發(fā)現(xiàn),“早起鳥”比“夜貓子”更努力更自覺。(不過,早起是否真能讓一個(gè)人變得更有效率或更加樂觀,依然不甚清楚。)
And perhaps the secret to a 4.0 isn’t only hitting the books: Another study of university undergraduates found those who said they function better in the morning received higher grades than those who preferred the evening That’s possibly because morning risers are more likely to get to class on time or to forgo late-night partying. Researchers also suggest memory may improve during sleep, so getting to bed earlier in preparation for a morning alarm could help those exam notes soak in.
或許考高分的秘訣不只是“啃書本”了:大學(xué)生的另一項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),那些自稱早上頭腦更清晰的人,通常也比那些夜晚型的人更容易考高分。這很可能也是因?yàn)樵缙鹦偷娜烁菀诇?zhǔn)時(shí)上課或不去參加深夜派對吧。研究人員還認(rèn)為,記憶可能會在睡眠時(shí)得到增強(qiáng),所以早點(diǎn)上床準(zhǔn)備第二天早起的話,確實(shí)會有助于吸收記憶考試內(nèi)容吧。
Being a morning person may actually be good for our health, too. When UK researchers questioned adults about their sleep habits, they found people who stay under the covers on the weekdays until 9 AM are more likely to be stressed, overweight, and depressed than those who get up at 7 AM. Another study found teenagers who went to bed and woke up late were less inclined to hit the gym and more likely to be overweight than those who went to bed and woke up early. Talk about waking up on the wrong side of the bed. (Again, remember it’s not clear that waking up early causes stress, depression, or weight gain.)
而且,做一個(gè)早起的人確實(shí)也有益于身體健康。當(dāng)英國的研究人員調(diào)查成年人的睡眠習(xí)慣時(shí),他們發(fā)現(xiàn),工作日賴床賴到9:00的人,比那些7:00就起床的人更容易增加體重、感到沮喪有壓力。另有調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),較之于早睡早起型,那些晚睡晚起的年輕人不太會去健身運(yùn)動,自然也就更容易發(fā)胖。這正是起不了床又毀了一天的情緒。(當(dāng)然,早起是否會導(dǎo)致壓力、抑郁或體重加劇,依然不甚明確。)
Good Day Sunshine: Your Action Plan
陽光美好的一天:你的行動計(jì)劃
Night owls aren’t totally out of luck. One study found evening lovers are more productive than morning people are at night. Still, being a morning person may be more advantageous for most people’s work schedules and routines, since the workday typically starts around 9 AM and the office is (usually!) not open at midnight. Regardless of the situation, there are ways to reset the body clock and happily greet the day:
“夜貓子”也不完全一無是處。有項(xiàng)調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn),“夜貓子”在晚上遠(yuǎn)比“早起鳥”有效率。不過,對大多數(shù)人的工作計(jì)劃和日常事務(wù)而言,早起還是很占優(yōu)勢的,畢竟,工作日上班通常都是9:00開始,而不是半夜!不管怎樣,還是有辦法調(diào)整生物鐘,從而開心擁抱新的一天的:
1. Get enough sleep. It may seem obvious, but getting those recommended seven to nine hours will make getting up earlier easier. Pro tip? Keep the laptop and other work out of the bed to sleep soundly.
保證充足睡眠。或許有些老掉牙,但睡足7-9小時(shí)確實(shí)更容易讓你早起。小建議就是,請讓筆記本電腦以及其他事務(wù)遠(yuǎn)離床頭,酣睡一覺吧!
2. Stay consistent. Try to set the alarm clock for the same time every morning—including weekends. A constant wakeup call may make it progressively easier to jump out of bed.
保持持續(xù)一致。每天早上的鬧鐘都要設(shè)成相同的時(shí)間——周末也是。堅(jiān)持早上被這樣叫醒,然后你會越來越起得來床。
3. Start slowly. Pick a new wakeup time and gradually work towards it. Want to wake up at 7 AM but stuck at 8? Start by setting the clock for 7:45, and move down in 15-minute increments until that new time goal is reached.
循序漸進(jìn)。重新定一個(gè)起床時(shí)間,然后慢慢去適應(yīng)它。本想7:00起床,卻一直賴到了8:00?那就把鬧鐘調(diào)到7:45吧,留15分鐘間隙讓起床目標(biāo)更容易實(shí)現(xiàn)!
4. Skip the snooze. Disrupting sleep an hour or so before actually getting out of bed may disturb our REM cycle, which helps stimulate brain regions linked to cognition. Don’t want to mess with that (or bug a roommate with multiple alarms!). Set one alarm for when it’s time to rise—and maybe another a few minutes later in case you snooze through.
不要貪睡。還沒完全睡醒準(zhǔn)備起床卻被打擾,這樣可能會擾亂人體的REM(快速眼球運(yùn)動)周期,而REM則會刺激大腦的認(rèn)知區(qū)域。所以不要那樣,也不要設(shè)太多鬧鐘攪得室友睡不好覺!只在該起床的時(shí)間點(diǎn)設(shè)一個(gè)鬧鐘就行了,要是你特容易睡過頭,那就再調(diào)一個(gè)幾分鐘之后的吧。
5. Set some happy sounds. Skip the beeps and blares and set an alarm tone to something soothing or fun.
選一個(gè)愉悅的鬧鈴。不要再用滴滴滴類的鈴聲啦,選一個(gè)舒緩愉悅的吧。
6. Let in the light. Research shows a little light may be all we need to reset the body block. A simple solution is to keep the blinds open during the night. Or greet the day and brush your teeth outside!
讓陽光灑進(jìn)來。研究發(fā)現(xiàn),稍微一絲光亮或許就足以喚醒人體的生物鐘。一個(gè)簡單的方法就是晚上把窗簾拉開,或者到外面去刷牙!
7. Eat breakfast. Sleepiness doesn’t disappear just from drinking a cup of coffee. Having enough time for some green eggs and ham (or maybe just a yogurt parfait) will also provide energy, not to mention it’ll boost that brainpower, too.
吃早飯。一杯咖啡并不能趕走瞌睡。花時(shí)間吃點(diǎn)有營養(yǎng)的雞蛋漢堡(或乳酪)不僅補(bǔ)充能量,還能增強(qiáng)腦力呢。
8. Hit the gym. Those tired eyes may go away once a morning workout routine is in order. Exercise will definitely boost energy—give these early-bird exercises a try.
運(yùn)動健身。早上若能安排健身,眼睛或許瞬間就能消除疲勞了。運(yùn)動毫無疑問可以激發(fā)能量——嘗試一下“早起鳥”運(yùn)動吧。
9. Treat yo’self. Have a reward waiting in the a.m. to motivate climbing out of the covers. Dive into some freshly based fruit and nut bars, or slide into a warm bath instead of taking a quick shower.
犒賞自己。早上設(shè)一份獎勵,激勵自己爬出被窩。比如吃點(diǎn)新鮮烘焙的水果和堅(jiān)果棒,或代之淋浴而泡個(gè)溫暖的熱水澡。
10. J.F.D.I. Sometimes we need to bite the bullet and “just f’ing do it." Researchers have found that creativity may flourish when we feel groggy, so don’t let a little drowsiness interrupt seizing the day!
拿出行動吧!有時(shí)我們真的只要咬咬牙“拿出行動”就行了。研究人員還發(fā)現(xiàn),創(chuàng)意很可能會在人們昏昏沉沉?xí)r爆發(fā),所以別讓頂點(diǎn)的瞌睡毀了新的一天哦!
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