![](https://lstatic.shangxueba.com/jiandati/h5/images/m_q_title.png)
The farm ministers scheduled an emergency meeting in Luxembourg in hopes of easing the wo
A.crisis
B.alarm
C.hazard
D.peril
A.crisis
B.alarm
C.hazard
D.peril
On the face of it, the deal agreed in the early hours of Thursday June 26th looks promising. Most subsidies linked to specific farm products are, at last, to be broken—the idea is to replace these with a direct payment to farmers, unconnected to particular products. Support prices for several key products, including milk and butter, are to be cut—that should mean European prices eventually falling towards the world market level. Cutting the link between subsidy and production was the main objective of proposals put forward by Mr. Fischler, which had formed the starting point for the negotiations.
The CAP is hugely unpopular around the world. It subsidises European farmers to such an extent that they can undercut farmers from poor countries, who also face trade barriers that largely exclude them from the potentially lucrative European market. Farm trade is also a key feature of the Doha round of trade talks, launched under the auspices of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in November 2001. Developing countries have lined up alongside a number of industrial countries to demand an end to the massive subsidies Europe pays its farmers. Several Doha deadlines have already been missed because of the EU's intransigence, and the survival of the talks will be at risk if no progress is made by September, when the world's trade ministers meet in Cancun, Mexico.
But now even the French seem to have gone along with the deal hammered out in Luxembourg. Up to a point, anyway. The package of measures gives the green light for the most eager reformers to move fast to implement the changes within their own countries. But there is an escape clause of sorts for the French and other reform-averse nations. They can delay implementation for up to two years. There is also a suggestion that the reforms might not apply where there is a chance that they would lead to a reduction in land under cultivation.
These let-outs are potentially damaging for Europe's negotiators in the Doha round. They could significantly reduce the cost savings that the reforms might otherwise generate and, in turn, keep European expenditure on farm support unacceptably high by world standards. More generally, the escape clauses could undermine the reforms by encouraging the suspicion that the new package will not deliver the changes that its supporters claim. Close analysis of what is inevitably a very complicated package might confirm the sceptics' fears.
The deal agreed on Thursday looks promising in that ______.
A.European farm ministers finally reached a consensus
B.the link between farm products and subsidies is removed
C.farmers would definitely accept the direct payment to them
D.European farm products will reach a lower price level than the world
On the face of it, the deal agreed in the early hours of Thursday June 26th looks promising. Most subsidies linked to specific farm products are, at last, to be broken—the idea is to replace these with a direct payment to farmers, unconnected to particular products. Support prices for several key products, including milk and butter, are to be cut—that should mean European prices eventually falling towards the world market level. Cutting the link between subsidy and production was the main objective of proposals put forward by Mr. Fischler, which had formed the starting point for the negotiations.
The CAP is hugely unpopular around the world. It subsidizes European farmers to such an extent that they can undercut farmers from poor countries, who also face trade barriers that largely exclude them from the potentially lucrative European market. Farm trade is also a key feature of the Doha round of trade talks, launched under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2001. Developing countries have lined up alongside a number of industrial countries to demand an end to the massive subsidies Europe pays its farmers. Several Doha deadlines have already been missed because of the EU's intransigence, and the survival of the talks will be at risk if no progress is made by September, when the world's trade ministers meet in Cancun, Mexico.
But now even the French seem to have gone along with the deal hammered out in Luxembourg. Up to a point, anyway. The package of measures gives the green light for the most eager reformers to move fast to implement the changes within their own countries. But there is an escape clause of sorts for the French and other reform-averse nations. They can delay implementation for up to two years. There is also a suggestion that the reforms might not apply where there is a chance that they would lead to a reduction in land under cultivation.
These let-outs are potentially damaging for Europe's negotiators in the Doha round. They could significantly reduce the cost savings that the reforms might otherwise generate and, in turn, keep European expenditure on farm support unacceptably high by world standards. Mote generally, the escape clauses could undermine the reforms by encouraging the suspicion that the new package will not deliver the changes that its supporters claim Close analysis of what is inevitably a very complicated package might confirm the sceptics' fears.
The deal agreed on Thursday looks promising in that _____.
A.European farm ministers finally reached a consensus.
B.the link between farm products and subsidies is removed.
C.farmers would definitely accept the direct payment to them.
D.European farm products will reach a lower price level than the world.
听力原文: Geneva
Trade ministers of the biggest commercial powers among developed and developing nations are trying to agree the extent to which they will reduce barriers to trade in industrial and farm goods. The underlying objective is to make international commerce easier and cheaper and to boost incomes around the world. It would give an indication of how far the trade liberalization would go but they would still have a heavy workload in negotiating detailed tariff cuts, product by product. Campaign groups have criticized the way these meetings are organized. Critics say that works to the disadvantage of those countries not included, especially the smaller developing countries.
London
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offers to co-ordinate collaborative projects that can crack major scientific problems in the research of the HIV virus. The foundation says that they are also developing global access plans to ensure that any discoveries from the research will be accessible and affordable in developing countries. Almost 700 million dollars is spent annually on developing an HIV vaccine, but researchers say that this is only half of what needs to be spent to reach that goal. It's been 25 years since the HIV virus was identified but in that time scientists have struggled to develop an effective vaccine against it.
Tokyo
A new study finds that green tea significantly reduces the risk of death from many causes, including heart disease. The study did not find, however, that green tea has any effect on cancer, as has been previously claimed. The study took place in northeastern Japan, where 80 percent of the population drinks green tea. Researchers looked at more than 40,000 adults and compared those who drank less than one cup of tea a day to those who drank three to five cups a day. They found that over the span of 11 years, those who drank more tea were less likely to die of heart disease.
Washington
Russia is likely to obtain WTO membership soon, following its negotiations with the United States. WTO membership provides real economic benefits. The 149 member countries give each other preferential treatment on trade. The U.S. is the only WTO member that is not yet agreed to let Russia join. The primary objection is that Russia has said it will block U.S. beef and pork exports. But today the Russian and the U.S. governments have announced that Presidents Putin and Bush will sign an agreement next week at an Asian Summit.
Baghdad
The execution of Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, met with mixed reaction from the international community. U.S. President George W. Bush hailed the execution of the toppled Iraqi President as "an important milestone" on the road to building an Iraqi democracy. The European Union leaders and officials expressed opposition to the death penalty. The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said it may result in deterioration of the military and political situation in Iraq and heighten the ethnic and religious tension. The Vatican said that the capital punishment was a "tragic" event that may risk sowing new violence in Iraq.
Questions:
6.What are trade ministers mainly discussing in Geneva?
7.According to researchers, how much money is needed every year to ensure the development of an HIV vaccine?
8.According to the study, what is the benefit of drinking green tea?
9.What is the biggest obstacle to Russia’s access to WTO?
10.Which of the following best summarizes the reaction of international community to the hanging of Saddam Hussein?
(26)
A.Reducing trade barriers in industrial and farm goods.
B.Debt relief for the developing countries.
C.Trade liberalization within the European Union.
D.Negotiating with the campaign groups.
A、The monarch's seat
B、The Lord Speaker's seat
C、The Prime Minister's seat
D、The Cabinet ministers' seat
A、worshiping Confucius
B、meeting the minister
C、inviting ministers to debate Laozi’s works
D、attending the court affairs
A、the residence of generals
B、the residence of court ministers
C、the headquarter of Qin’s Army
D、the residence of soldiers
Which of the following can best describe the Euro area's finance ministers?
A.Active but discouraged.
B.Earnest and powerful.
C.Cautious but vigorous.
D.Feeble and vulnerable.
It can be learned from Paragraph 4 that _____.
[A] most ministers were suspicious of Hoon’s conduct
[B] Hoon will not do anything without consulting Blair
[C] Blair should not divert his responsibility to his Cabinet
[D] MPs think that it is Blair who drags the country into the war
A、Employing lobbyists to put the organisation's case to ministers or civil servants
B、Giving lawmakers non-executive directorships
C、Offering financial incentives to public officials to use their influence on the organisation's behalf
D、Attempting to influence public opinion, to put pressure on the legislative agenda
为了保护您的账号安全,请在“简答题”公众号进行验证,点击“官网服务”-“账号验证”后输入验证码“”完成验证,验证成功后方可继续查看答案!