2017年12月大学英语四级长篇阅读练习题（8）思维导图

Directions:Inthissection,youaregoingtoreadapassagewithtenstatementsattachedtoit.Eachstatementcontainsinformationgiveninoneoftheparagraphs.Identifytheparagraphfromwhichtheinformationisderived.

Youmaychooseapara'graphmorethanonce.Eachparagraphismarkedwithaletter.AnswerthequestionsbymarkingthecorrespondingletteronAnswerSheet2.

A.Theenrichmentofpreviouslypoorcountriesisthemostinspiringdevelopmentofourtime.Itisalsoworrying.Theenvironmentisalreadyunderstrain.Whatwillhappenwhentheglobalpopulationrisesfrom7billiontodayto9.3billionin2050,asdemographers(人口统计学家)expect,andagrowingproportionofthesepeoplecan'affordgoodsthatwereoncereservedfortheelite?Cantheplanetsupportsomucheconomicactivity?

B.Manypolicymakersadoptatop-downandWestern-centficapproachtosuchplanetaryproblems.Theydiscussambitiousregulationsinglobalforums,orlooktogiantmultinationalsandwell-heeled(富有的)NGOstosetanexample.Butsincemostpeopleliveintheemergingworld,itmakessensetolookatwhatsuccessfulcompaniestherearedoingtomakegrowthmoresustainable.

C.AnewstudybytheWorldEconomicForum(WEF)andtheBostonConsultingGroup(BCG)identifies16emerging-marketfirmsthattheysayareturningeco-consciousnessintoasourceofcompetitiveadvantage.Thesehighlyprofitablecompanies(whichthestudycalls"thenewsustainabilitychampions")areusinggreenerytoreducecosts,motivateworkersandforgerelationships.Theirhome-grownideaswillprobablybeeasierfortheirpeerstocopythananythingcookedupintheWest.

D.Themostoutstandingqualityofthesecompaniesisthattheyturnlimitationsofresources,laborandinfrastructure)intoopportunities.Thus,India'sShreeCement,whichhastongsufferedfromwatershortages,developedtheworld'smostwater-efficientmethodformakingcement,inpartbyusingair-coolingratherthanwater-cooling.ManilaWater,autilityinthePhilippines,reducedtheamountofwateritwaslosing,throughwastageandillegaltapping,from63%in1997to12%in2010bymakingwateraffordableforthepoor.

BroadGroup,aChinesemakerofairconditioners,tapsthewasteheatfrombuildingstopoweritsmachines.ZhangzidaoFisheryGroup,aChineseaquaculture(水产养殖)company,recyclesuneatenfishfeedtofertilizecrops.

E.Settinggreengoalsisacommonpractice.Sekem,anEgyptianfoodproducer,setitselfthetaskofreclaiming(开垦)desertlandthroughorganicfarming.FloridaIce&Farm,aCostaRicanfoodanddrinkcompany,hasadoptedstrictstandardsfortheamountofwateritcanconsumeinproducingdrinks.

F.Thesefirmsmeasurethemselvesbytheirgreenery,too.FloridaIce&Farm,forexample,links60%ofitsboss'spaytothetriplebottomlineof"people,planetandprofit".Thesustainabilitychampionsalsoencouragetheirworkerstocomeupwithgreenideas.Natura,aBraziliancosmeticscompany,givesbonusestostaffwhofindwaystoreducethefirm'simpactontheenvironment.Masisa,aChileanforestrycompany,invitesemployeesto"imagineunimaginablebusinesses"aimedatpoorerconsumers.Woolworths,aSouthAfricanretailer,claimsthatmanyofitsbestgreenideashavecomefromstaff,notbosses.

G.Inemergingmarketsitishardforcompaniestosticktoonespecialism,becausetheyhavetoworryaboutsomanywiderproblems,fromhumbleinfrastructuretounreliablesupplychains.Sothesustainabilitychampionsseektoshapethebusinessenvironmentinwhichtheyoperate.Theylobby(游说)regulators:GrupoBalbo,aBrazilianorganic-sugarproducer,isworkingwiththeBraziliangovernmenttoestablishacertificationsystemfororganicproducts.TheyformpartnershipswithgovernmentsandNGOs.Kenya'sEquityBankhasformedanalliancewithgroupssuchasTheInternationalFundforAgriculturalDevelopmenttoreduceitsriskswhenlendingtosmallholders.Naturahasworkedwithitssupplierstoproducesustainablepackaging,includinganew"green"plasticderivedfromsugarcane.

H.Thefirmsalsoworkhardtoreachandeducatepoorconsumers,oftensacrificingshort-termprofitstocreatefuturemarkets.Masisaorganizeslocalcarpentersintonetworksandconnectsthemtolow-incomefurniturebuyers.BroadGrouphasdevelopedaminiaturedeviceformeasuringairpollutionthatcanfitintomobilephones.JainIrrigation,anIndianmakerofirrigationsystems,usesdanceandsongtoexplainthebenefitsofdripirrigationtofarmerswhocan'tread.Suntech,aChinesesolar-powercompany,hasestablishedalow-carbonmuseumtocelebratewaysofreducingcarbon-dioxideemissions.

Richbecamegreen,orgreenbecamerich?

I.Onecouldquibble(争辩)withBCG'sanalysis.PhilRosenzweigofSwitzerland'sIMDbusinessschoolhasarguedthatmanagementwritersareproneto"thehaloeffect":theytreatthetemporarysuccessofacompanyasproofthatithasdiscoveredsomeeternalprincipleofgoodmanagement.Thefactthatsomesuccessfulcompanieshaveembracedgreenerydoesnotprovethatgreenerymakesafirmsuccessful.Somefirms,havingprospered,findtheycanaffordtosplurge(挥霍)ongreenery.Somesuccessfulfirrnspursuegreeneryforpublic-relationspurposes.Andforeverysustainableemergingchampion,therearesurely100firmsthathaveprosperedbybelching(喷出)fumesintotheairorpumpingtoxinsintorivers.

J.Nonetheless,thecentralmessageoftheWEF-BCGstudy--thatsomeofthebestemerging-worldcompaniesarecombiningprofitswithgreenery--isthought-provoking.Manycriticsofenvironmentalismarguethatitisarich-worldluxury:thatthepoorneedadequatefoodbeforetheyneedsuper-cleanair.Someevenseegreeneryasarich-worldconspiracy(阴谋):theWestgrewrichbyindustrializing(andpolluting),butnowwantstostoptherestoftheworldfromfollowingsuit.TheWEF-BCGreportdemonstratesthatsuchfearsareoverblown.Emerging-worldcompaniescanbejustasgreenastheirWesternrivals.Manyhavefoundthat,whennaturalresourcesarescarceandconsumersarecash-strapped(资金短缺的),greenerycanbealucrative(利润丰厚的)businessstrategy.

四级阅读：奥巴马看射杀拉登表情冷淡眼神空洞PresidentObamawaswatchingonaTVscreenasacommandogunneddownOsamaBinLaden.Viaavideocamerafixedtothehelmetofa...

TheNewGenderGapWhentheleadersoftheClassof2003assembleinLawrenceHigh'sfluorescent-lit1meetingrooms,mostoftheboysarenowheretobeseen.Theseniorclass...