READING COMPREHENSION 2
China in the Fast Track
According to some experts, China overtook the United States as the planet’s biggest carbon dioxide polluter already two years ago. The Chinese will attend COP15 in Copenhagen with an agenda expressing their intention to reduce their CO2 emissions by up to 45 per cent against the level in 2005. Sceptics, however, claim that such a reduction will not be achieved because the estimate is based on absolute figures. According to them, China’s emissions will have doubled by the end of the next decade.
China’s population of 1.3 billion is the largest in the world and China’s is one of the fastest growing economies. Two thirds of its energy consumption is based on coal because it is the country’s richest resource, and China now burns over 2 billion tons per year, almost twice the level of the US.
53-year-old builder Xie Wong, who moved from the country to Shanghai 24 years ago, spent the first half of his life in poverty and has, during the latter half, witnessed a steady increase in wealth. He does not see any particular reason why China should slow down, just because the West is getting worried about global warming, a problem created by Europe and the Americans during two centuries of constant growth.
Says the Shanghai builder: “Only recently China and other developing countries have succeeded in boosting their economies, but now the USA and others are trying to prevent us from going forward, whereas nobody ever attempted to place any restraints on them. Now they want to teach us the correct ways to take care of nature and the least they could do would be to compensate by providing us with advanced technologies to reduce greenhouse gas – free of charge. They tell us that we can buy consumer goods, but we are not allowed to use them. So why should we go to Copenhagen just to collect the bill for the overconsumption of the West?”
A Chinese official, who will attend the conference, shares the views of the Shanghai builder and echoes the position taken by a number of developing countries: Until now we have not seen any concrete action or real assistance from the developed countries. We hope that at the conference they will adopt measures to help the developing countries with financing and technology. If not, the conference – and the world – will have failed.
Five questions according to the text:
6. China's most important energy resource is:
A. CO2B. coalC. uraniumD. wind
7. The Shanghai builder believes:
A. the United States has contributed to China's current economic progressB. the United States is a model for developing economiesC. the United States should provide free technology to ChinaD. the United States has not over-consumed
8. It is believed that by 2020 China will:
A. emit twice as much CO2 as it does todayB. emit 45 percent more CO2 than it does todayC. emit half as much CO2 as it does todayD. emit 45 percent less CO2 than it does today
9. China' s population is:
A. about 2 billionB. 45 percent of the world' s populationC. the largest in the worldD. two thirds of the world' s population
10. The Shanghai builder believes:
A. China is most responsible for global warmingB. the US and Europe are most responsible for global warmingC. China should provide assistance to the US and EuropeD. China should not be allowed to use consumer goods
PART II
Grammar
11. My brother
A. is eatingB. eatC. eatsD. ates
burgers every day.
12. I bought a new car and
A. I`m liking itB. I love itC. I loves ItD. I can like it.
13. The phone is ringing: A. I`ll answer itB. I am going to answer itC. I answer itD. I am answering it
14. How many times A. have you visitedB. have you been visitingC. did you visitD. were you visiting
your brother since he moved?
15. When I phoned him, he A. is watchingB. was watchingC. watchedD. has been watching
television.
16. If I
A. am lateB. will be lateC. am going to be lateD. am coming late,
please leave without me.
17. If I
A. would beB. wereC. amD. had been
you, I`d see a doctor.
18. How old are these houses? They
A. are builtB. have been builtC. were builtD. have been being built
in 1920.
19. What did he inform you about? He informed us
A. about that the firm was closingB. that the firm was closingC. that the firm closesD. about that the firm will close.
20. You really must
A. to studyB. studyC. to studyingD. studying
more.
21. I am being a bit silly now,
A. aren`t IB. ain`t IC. isn`t ID. don`t I?
22. That`s the building
A. whoB. whoseC. whichD. there
was renovated.
23. He kicks
A. hard the ballB. hardly the ballC. the ball hardD. the ball hardly.
24. What did you do yesterday?
A. I was going to the cinemaB. I have gone to the cinemaC. I go to the cinemaD. I went to the cinema.
25. What is Paris like? I don' t know. I
A. was never thereB. has never been thereC. have never been being thereD. have never been there
in my life.
26. Where is your brother?
A. He has lunchB. he`s had lunchC. he`s having lunchD. he was having lunch.
27. These are the boys, and this is the
A. boysB. boy`sC. boys`D. boys`s
mother.
28. I didn`t see you at the meeting, where
A. have you beenB. were youC. was youD. were you been?
29. Everybody
A. areB. wasC. wereD. is
here now.
30. Let`s go shopping. No thanks. I don`t have
A. many moneyB. much moneyC. many moniesD. much monies.
31. Does he play an instrument? Yes, he plays
A. a guitarB. guitarC. guitarsD. the guitar.
32. How old is she? She is 21½
A. year oldB. yearC. years oldD. years.
33. Do you think it`s going to rain?
A. I am not hoping soB. I don`t hope soC. I hope notD. I am hoping not.
34. Virtue is
A. it`sB. itC. its`D. its
own reward.
35. The food was all gone. The dog
A. had eatenB. has eatenC. eatsD. had been eating
everything.
PART III
Translation.
Choose the correct translation of each of the following sentences:
36. Han er gået.
A. He is goneB. He is goingC. He has goneD. He has been gone.
37. Ingen har ret i dette spørgsmål.
A. No one have right in this issueB. No one has right in this issueC. No one are right in this issueD. No one is right in this issue.
38. Politibetjenten vidste, at der blandt personalet var en morder - men hvem?
A. The detective knew that there was among the staff a murderer - but whoB. The detective knew that there was a murderer among the staff - but whoC. the detective knew that there among the staff was a murderer - but whoD. The detective knew among the staff that there was a murderer - but who?
39. Jeg fortæller ham det, når han kommer.
A. I tell him where he comesB. I`ll tell him when he comesC. I`ll tell him when he`ll comeD. I tell him when he`ll come.
40. Du skulle ikke bruge alle dine penge på underholdning.
A. You can`t spend all your money on entertainmentB. You shouldn`t spend all your money on entertainmentC. You may not spend all your money on entertainmentD. You mustn`t spend all your money on entertainment.
41. Hvis jeg havde set ham, ville jeg have hjulpet ham.
A. If I would have seen him, I had helped himB. If I had saw him, I would have help himC. If I have seen him, I would have help himD. If I had seen him, I would have helped him.
42. Betjenten vil ikke kunne forstå problemet, hvis du ikke siger sandheden.
A. The officer will not be able to understand the problem if you do not tell the truthB. The officer can`t understand the problem if you do not tell the truthC. The officer could not understand the problem if you will not tell the truthD. The officer will not be able to understand the problem if you not will tell the truth.
43. Da røveren ankom til banken, stod politiet og ventede på ham.
A. When the robber got to the bank, the police stood and waited for himB. When the robber got to the bank, the police were standing and waiting for himC. When the robber got to the bank, the police were waiting for himD. When the robber got to the bank, the police waited for him.
44. Bogen var skrevet af en enormt populær politiker.
A. The book was written by an immense popular politicianB. The book was writing by an immensely popular politicianC. The book had been written by an immensely popular politicianD. The book had been written by an immense popular politician.
45. Sygdom kan være forårsaget af at ryge og spise for meget.
A. Illness might be caused by to smoke and eat too muchB. Illness may be caused by smoking and eating too muchC. Illness can be caused by to smoke and eat too muchD. Illness must be caused by smoking and eating too much.
46. Kvinden ville have, at betjenten skulle hjælpe hende.
A. The woman wanted that the officer should help herB. The woman wanted the officer should help sheC. The woman wanted the officer to help sheD. The woman wanted the officer to help her.
47. Vidnet kunne ikke undgå at høre, hvad der skete i værelset ved siden af.
A. The witness could not avoid hearing what happened in the room next doorB. the witness could not avoid to hear what happened in the room next doorC. the witness could not avoid to hear what there happened in the room next doorD. The witness could not avoid hearing what there happened in the room next door.
48. De risikerer at miste mange penge i projektet.
A. They are risking to lose a lot of money in the projectB. They risk to lose many money in the projectC. They risk losing many money in the projectD. They risk losing a lot of money in the project.
49. Danmark ligger nord for Tyskland.
A. Denmark lies north for GermanyB. Denmark is north for GermanyC. Denmark is north of GermanyD. Denmark lies north of Germany.
50. Min søster er ældre end mig, men jeg er 5 cm højere end hende.
A. My sister is older than me, but I am 5 cm taller than herB. My sister is older than me, but I am 5 cm taller than sheC. My sister is elder than me, but I am 5 cm higher than herD. My sister is older than me, but I am 5 cm higher than her.
51. Betjenten åbnede døren og så en ældre herre med to større hunde foran sig.
A. The officer opened the door and saw an elder gentleman with two larger dogs in front of himB. The officer opened the door and saw an elderly gentleman with two big dogs in front of himC. the officer opened the door and saw an older gentleman with two big dogs in front of himD. the officer opened the door and saw an old gentleman with two larger dogs in front of him.
52. Spionen betalte mange penge for oplysningerne.
A. The spy paid a lot of money for the informationB. The spy paid many money for the informationC. The spy paid a lot of money for the informationsD. The spy paid many money for the informations.
53. Den ene dag efter den anden gik uden nogen nyheder.
A. The one day after the other passed without some newsB. The one day after another passed without any newsC. One day after the other passed without some newsD. One day after another passed without any news.
54. Betjentene holdt deres stave i hånden og gik langsomt frem.
A. The officers held their truncheons in their hand and walked forward slowlyB. The officers held their truncheons in their hands and walked forward slowlyC. The officers held their truncheons in their hand and walked slowly forwardD. The officers held theirs truncheons in their hands and walked forward slowly.
55. Vi gik hen for at se, hvad der var i vejen.
A. We walked over to see what the matter wasB. We walked over to see what was in the roadC. We walked over to see what there was in the wayD. We walked over to see what there was to matter.
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