第一篇The legislation ends a 34-year ban on nuclear trade between the two countries. It allows the United States to share civilian nuclear technology and materials with India. For its part, New Delhi is promising to open some of its nuclear facilities to U.N. inspection. President Bush signed the measure in the White House East Room, Wednesday. "This legislation will enhance our cooperation in using nuclear energy to power our economies, will help us to work together more closely to reduce the danger of nuclear proliferation across the world," President Bush said.The agreement itself is to be signed Friday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Indian counterpart, Pranab Mukherjee.President Bush noted that relations between Washington and New Delhi have, at times, been cool."In recent years we have worked to transform our relationship into a strong strategic partnership," said Mr. Bush. "One area where we saw tremendous potential for cooperation is energy. As our economies have grown, our demands for energy have grown, as well. It has become increasingly clear that we need to generate in ways that are safe and clean and secure. One energy source that can generate large amounts of electricity with zero emissions of air pollution or greenhouse gases is nuclear power."In 1998, India made headlines with a series of nuclear weapons tests. New Delhi has signed neither the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty nor the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Some U.S. legislators who oppose the new pact say there are insufficient safeguards to prevent India from diverting nuclear fuel from its intended civilian use to its weapons program.Indian officials have said they are committed to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.第二篇The sense of sound is one of our most important means of knowing what is going on around us. Sound has a wasted product, too, in the form of noise. Noise has been called unwanted sound. Noise is growing and it may get much worse before it gets and better. Scientists, for several years, have been studying how noise affects people and animals. They are surprised by what they have learned. Peace and quiet are becoming harder to find. Noise pollution—the crashing, squeaking, banging, hammering of people—is no joke. It is a threat that should be looked at carefully. Sound is measured in units called “decibels”. At a level of 140 decibels people feel pain in their ears.Automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, factories, bands—all these things make noise. They bother not only our ears, but our minds and bodies as well. There is a saying about it being so noisy that you can’t hear yourself think. Doctors who study noise believe that we must sometimes hear ourselves think. If we don’t we may ha ve headaches, other aches and pains, or even worse mental problems. Noise adds more tension to society that already faces enough stress. But noise is not a new problem. In ancient Rome, people complained so much about noise that the government stopped chariots from moving through the streets at night!Noise can be separated into a few general groups. The following examples are taken from hearings before the US Senate Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution in 1970.Occupational noise—Factory workers who always hear noise have poorer hearing than other groups.Aircraft noise—Around airports or on air routes the noise of airplanes taking off and landing causes the greatest complaints.Traffic noise—Away from the noise of planes, traffic sounds break in on our peace and quiet. Trucks and motorcycles cause the most problems.第三篇in China, people can often see a pair of stone lions, a male and a female, in front of the gates of traditional buildings. The male is on the left with his right front paw resting on a ball, and the female on the right with her left front paw fondling their cub.The lion is a very special animal to Chinese people. Traditionally, he is regarded as the king of the animal world, the animal that represents power and prestige. The ball the male lion is playing with probably symbolizes the joy of family or the unity of the whole empire, and the cub the female is fondling, the thriving children.Traditionally, however, the stone lions were only to be found in front of the gates of mansions of powerful officials. In fact, the rank of the officials was indicated by the number of curls on the lion's head. The lion for the highest rank had 13 curls, and the number decreased by one as the rank went down until it reached the 7th rank, because below that no one was allowed to have stone lions guard their house at all.It is interesting to note that lions were not native to China. It is said that the first lion was brought into the country as a girl from the King of Parthia to the Chinese Emperor of the Eastern Han who reigned the country at around 87 AD. The next year, another lion was given by a country from Central Asia. But it was probably the introduction of Buddhism to China during this period that got sculptors interested in, making stone lions, because according to the legend, when Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, was born, he was seen to "point to Heaven with one hand and to Earth with the other, mating like a lion." In the Buddhist faith, therefore, the lion is considered divine. It is a noble creature sent by the Buddha to protect the Truth and keep off evils.Stone lions have also been used to decorate bridges for the same reason. The best known is the Lugouqiao (also known as Marco Polo Bridge). Built from 1189 to 1192, the lion stones sculpted on the posts of the bridge have stood on guard for more than 800 years. One funny thing about the stone lions on the bridge is people often 'disagree on the exact number. It is said that there are 485 in all, but there may be 498 or 501. No wonder people often say "as many as the stone lions on the Lugouqiao". You cannot count them.第四篇The G8 summit has ended with agreement on aid to Africa, help for the Palestinians, and a vow to seek consensus on global warming. This meeting to the world's leading industrialized nations and Russia may be best remembered for its unity in the face of terrorism.The final image of this summit sent a strong message, the sight of the G8 leaders standing as one' to condemn terrorism, along with a group of presidents and prime ministers from Africa.British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who left the summit for several hours Thursday to go to the scene of the London bombings, walked to the podium."We speak today in the shadow of terrorism, but it will not obscure what we came here to achieve."Mr. Blair said the G8 will address the hopelessness and poverty that can create a breeding ground for terrorism. He made specific mention of a significant increase in aid to the Palestinians."Yesterday evening, the G8 agreed to a substantial package of help for the Palestinian Authority amounting to up to $3 billion so that two states, Israel and Palestine, two peoples and two religions can live side-by-side in peace."The Palestinian assistance was a surprise. The summit was expected to focus mainly on aid to Africa. In addition to an already completed agreement on debt cancellation, the G8 promised a $50 billion aid package, steps to boost trade, and efforts to dramatically increase access to AIDS treatment."It isn't the end of poverty in Africa, but it is the hope that it can be ended. It isn't all everyone reed, but it is progress, real and achievable progress."The leaders of Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania joined the G8 members for their deliberations on Africa. Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said the meeting was a success, adding he could not understand what the terrorists hoped to achieve by staging attacks in London as the G8 was beginning its work."Africa needs the undiverted attention and commitment of the G8. We are pleased that our interlocutors have affirmed their resolve not to be diverted by these terrorist acts." The G8 continued to meet throughout the crisis, with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw assuming the chair while Prime Minister Blair returned to London.More than a dozen statements and agreements were put out by the G8 leaders, including a caret fully worded document on climate change.President Bush is the only G8 member who has not signed onto the Kyoto Protocol, which is designed to reduce emissions of gases that pollute the air and warm the atmosphere. The sure, hit acknowledged this split on Kyoto and said it is time for all countries to do what they can to address the problem. Prime Minister Blair said they all realize they have a responsibility to be good stewards the environment."We do not hide the disagreements of the past. But we have agreed to a process with a plan of action that will initiate a new dialogue between the G8 countries and the emerging economies of the world to slow down and then in time to reverse the rise in harmful greenhouse gas."He said that dialogue would begin on the 1st of November with a meeting in Britain.第五篇Brand: The Kyoto agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions goes into effect today minus the biggest polluter, the United States. President Bush has rejected the agreement, saying it would harm the US economy. But dozens of other countries have pledged to reduce carbon dioxide from power plants, cars and other sources. NPR's Richard Harris is here to explain. And, Richard, tell us a bit about this Kyoto agreement. What does it compel countries who have signed on to it to do?Harris: Well, there are about 140 countries, or a little more than that, who've signed on to it, and most of them actually don't have to do anything at ail. Developing countries just sort of have signed on to the concept that it's a good thing to think about the global climateand ultimately maybe to do something about it. But about 35 industrialized countries actually have taken on commitments to cap their emissions and start to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming. Brand: And so will it have the desired effect in reducing greenhouse gases worldwide? Harris: Well, we will see how much effect it has in terms of whether people can reach their targets is the first question. They have till 2012 to do so. And targets range from—actually, some countries say they re going to actually experience small increases, and some countries say that they re hoping to reduce their emissions fairly significantly. But even if everyone reaches the targets that they have proclaimed they are going to reach, it actually will not make much of a difference. And that's for a couple of reasons, one of which is that some of the world's biggest contributors are not on board. Beyond that, even if everyone reaches those limits, the point of fact is, these gases are building up so much in the atmosphere, you'd actually have to cut them back by about 60 percent or maybe more globally before you really would stabilize the atmosphere and that is a tough, tough target. Brand: Sixty percent. Wow.Harris: Yeah.Brand: It was negotiated eight years ago. Why did it take so long to go into effect? Harris: Well, the treaty requires a certain percentage of the world's emitters to sign on to it. And Europe was very eager to do so, and Japan signed on quite rapidly, as did a lot of the non emitting countries or countries that didn't have any obligations under the treaty, I should say. But getting that last signature took a long time. It had to either be the United States or Russia in order to put the treaty into effect. And the US decided not to sign on to it, and Russia took its time trying to make some deals, I think, with Europe about what else it could get in exchange for signing the Kyoto Protocol. Russia finally signed on to the treaty in November and now, 90 days later, the Kyoto Protocol goes into effect. Brand: Any chance the US will sign on to a similar treaty in the future?Harris: It's hard to anticipate exactly what's going to happen. I think US businesses are recognizing that eventually they will be called upon to cut emissions and to find ways to produce energy and products with less carbon dioxide and other gases that contribute to global warming. The question is whether it's going to be in the form of a global treaty like this or some other mechanism, I think, is really up in the air right now. What we are seeing is a lot of action on the state level. Many, many states are undertaking programs, and they're all different from one another. And that as much as anything might compel the federal government to come in and say, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, too much going on here. Let's come up with one single consistent set of rules." And that ultimately might be what pushes us into something like Kyoto down the road.Brand: NPR's Richard Harris speaking to us from Washington. Thank you.Harris: My pleasure.第六篇For years, American law enforcement officials have been trying to solve a series of environmental crimes. The crimes are linked to a group known as the Earth Liberation Front. The group claims responsibility for hundreds of acts of destruction in the United States during the past five years. The destruction has caused more than thirty million dollars worth of damage.Federal investigators say they are finally closer to solving the crimes. Recently, a seventeen-year-old student reportedly admitted setting a series of fires in the state of New York. He was charged in connection with acts of damage believed to be carried out by the Earth Liberation Front. The student is the son of a New York City police officer. He reportedly made the admission during a secret court hearing. As part of a deal, the student agreed to cooperate with officials investigating the Earth Liberation Front. He could face up to twenty years in prison.This is the first time that a member of the group has admitted being responsible for environmental crimes linked to the Earth Liberation Front. Three other suspects in the property attacks were negotiating with federal officials.Since Nineteen-Ninety-Six, members of the group have claimed to have damaged or burned hundreds of new homes, tree-cutting companies, federal offices and animal and plant research laboratories. They say their goal is to stop development and other activities they consider harmful to nature. They say their property attacks are aimed at industry and rich people who profit from the destruction of the natural environment.The Earth Liberation Front says it will use any direct action necessary to carry out its goals. But it says it is opposed to harming animals or humans. Traditional environmental groups in the United States reject the group's methods.The Earth Liberation Front includes environmental extremists who operate independently of each other. Federal investigators say their lack of structure has made them difficult to stop. And they say the group usually leaves very little evidence behind.A few weeks ago, the group claimed responsibility for burning several new homes in Mount Sinai, New York. It has also claimed responsibility for destructive acts in Colorado, Arizona, Oregon and Wisconsin.第七篇China and India are the favoured markets of investors living outside their home countries, while fears about corporate governance standards in emerging markets have waned, according to a brokerage firm's survey on Monday.Some 56% of investors said they were confident about putting money to work in China, up from 38% a year ago, while 43% of them said they were confident about India, unchanged from last year, according to a poll of 400 expatriate investors in June by Luxembourg-based brokerage internaxx.Concerns about lax corporate governance standards in some emerging market economies also fell over the past 12 months, the survey found. Only 3% of respondents said they had concerns, down from 16% a year before.Expatriate investors living away from their countries of origin are an increasingly important part of the investment population and typically take a more sophisticated and international approach to managing money, said Robert Glaesener, general manager at internaxx.. There are about 300,000 expatriate Britons living in areas such as the Middle East and Far East, for example, while the total number of expat employees and investors can be counted by the millions although exact figures are hard to pin down, Glaesener said. Among other findings, the survey showed that 81% of investors claim to have either beaten or matched performance by market indices.The most favoured sectors are energy and telecoms, while retail and mining were the leastfavoured.Investors turned less confident about the British, US and Euro zone economies as places to put money, citing ageing populations, rigid labour laws and saturated home markets as reasons for their caution.第八篇2002 was the first year when China became a full WTO member, and also a year when the insurance industry in China grew the fastest, with a revenue of 305.3 billion yuan, up by 44.7 percent over the previous year, and total assets of 649.41 billion yuan, up by 41.4 percent.The insurance industry was still small in scale, constituting 2.98 percent of GDP, and a low share in the national economy, much lower than that of banking and securities trading. However, demand for insurance services was sharply up.Moreover, after China's accession to WTO, foreign insurance companies quickly flooded into China's insurance market. China's insurance companies also stepped up their efforts to join hands with foreign business.第九篇So let us be in no doubt about what we are witnessing today -- a revolution in medical science whose implications far surpass even the discovery of antibiotics, the first great technological triumph of the 21st century. And every so often in the history of human endeavor there comes a breakthrough that takes humankind across a frontier and into a new era.Nothing better demonstrates the way technology and science are driving us, fast-forwarding us all into the future. But with the power of this discovery comes, of course, the responsibility to use it wisely. As with the greatest scientific achievements, the ethical and the moral questions raised by this astonishing breakthrough are profound. We, all of us, share a duty to ensure that the common property of the human genome is used freely for the common good of the whole human race; to ensure that the powerful information now at our disposal is used to transform medicine, not abused, to make man his own creator or invade individual privacy.They underline the extraordinary scale of economic, technological, scientific change that sweeps across the modern world.第十篇Human beings misuse the precious fresh water in two ways. It is wasted through careless use and polluted by dumping wastes into it. People build large cities in deserts and grow crops in dry valleys. In the world's dry places, people must learn to avoid waste, to make every gallon count. People pollute water by dumping sewage and industrial wastes into it or by letting pesticides from farm land run into it. Even ground water is polluted by poisons sinking into the earth. Humanity must learn that nothing just "goes away". People need to treat sewage so it does not pollute the water. They need to keep industrial wastes completely out of the water.。
