單項選擇題
1、 Questions are based on the following passage.
The number of postgraduate students travelling from non-EU countries to study at UK universities has fallen for the first time in 16 years, fuelling fears that the government's immigration crackdown is discouraging thousands of the brightest students from continuing their studies in Brid.
Jo Beall, British Council director of education and society, said the fall would cause alarm among UK vice-chancellors (大學行政主管). "The sector was expecting a decline in growth, but the actual reduction in postgraduate numbers is of real concern as international-students make up the m~ority of numbers in many postgraduate courses and research teams in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. ""Attracting the brightest and most ambitious postgraduate and research students is critical if the UK is to maintain its quality reputation for research," Beall said.
Universities get a third of their tuition (學費) fee revenue from non-EU students. There is growing fear among vice-chancellors that this revenue-as well as the cultural, academic and economic benefit international students bring--is being put at risk.
Tim Westlake, director for the student experience at Manchester University, said students whose families relied on them working in the UK after their studies to gain experience and repay the fees were starting to look elsewhere.
Last month the home secretary, Theresa May, announced that embassy staff would interview more than 100,000 applicants in an attempt to prevent bogus (假冒的) ones entering the country. She also said immigrants were responsible for pushing up UK house prices. The comments followed the introduction of new limitations on students' right to work during and after their studies.
Beall said:" Government statistics for the first time provide real evidence that the changes to UK visa regulations may have discouraged many students from applying to the UK, and in particular postgraduate students Who are so important to the UKs research output. The UK enjoys an eXcellent reputation around the world for the high quality of our education system, so the government needs to ensure that institutions have all the support they need to attract international students who make a tremendous academic, cultural and economic contribution to the UK. "
What has caused the decline of the number of non-EU postgraduates in the UK?
increase in tuition and fees.
ever-rising living expenses.
ged immigration policies.
ersities' tightened budgets
2、回答題
A Battle is Looming over Renewable Energy,and Fossil Fuel Interests are Losing
A. In state capitals across the country,legislators are debating proposals to roll back environmental rules，prodded by industry and advocacy groups eager to curtail(縮減)regulations aimed at curbing greenhouse gases.
measures，which have been introduced in about 18 states，lie at the heart of an effort to expand to the state level the battle over fossil fuel and renewable new rules would trim or abolish climate mandates--including those that require utilities to use solar and wind energy,as well as proposed Environmental Protection Agency rules that would reduce carbon emissions from power plants.
the campaign—despite its backing from powerful groups such as Americans for Prosperity—has run into a surprising roadblock：the growing political clout of renewable-energy interests，even in rock-ribbed Republican states such as Kansas.
D. The stage has been set for what one lobbyist called“trench warfare”as moneyed interests on both sides wrestle over some of the strongest regulations for promoting renewable the issues are likely to surface this fall in the midterm elections，as well，with Califomia billionaire Tom Steyer pouring money into various gubernatorial(州長的)and state and federal legislative races to back candidates who support tough rules curbing pollution.
multi-pronged conservative effort to roll back regulations，begun more than a year ago，is supported by a loose，ed confederation that includes the ber of Commerce，the National Association of Manufacturers and conservative activist groups such as Americans for Prosperity,a politically active nonprofit organization founded in part by brothers David and Charles e groups argue that existing government rules violate free-market principles and will ultimately drive up costs for consumers.
proposed measures are similar from state to some cases，the legislative language matches or closely resembles model bills and resolutions offered by the American Legislative Exchange Council(ALEC)，a nted group of state lawmakers underwritten in part by Exxon Mobil，Koch Industries，Duke Energy and Peabody Energy.“Now more than ever is the time for states to lead the way,”ALEC’s top officials told its members at a meeting in December.
coalition campaigns have achieyed only symbolic victories in a few inding resolutions critical of the EPA power plant proposals have been approved in Alabama，Georgia，Nebraska，West Virginia and e other ouri and Ohio—are weighing legislation similar to the ALEC model.
one of the 18 state legislatures has approved a more substantive measure that would replace the EPA’s power plant even that Kentucky,could backfire by giving up a chance for the state to design its own program and forcing it to accept a federal compliance program.
I.“Clean energy is beginning to become mainstream，”said Gabe Eisner,executive director of the Energy and Policy Institute，a clean-energy think tank in Washington.“Renewable energy is popular and has increased political power now,”but，he added，“that power is still eclipsed by the resources of the fossil fuel industry.”
A surprisingly tough fight
as might be the best place to see how these dynamics are unfolding.
state was a promising choice for a foray(攻擊)against rules known as renewable-energy h set minimum levels of renewable-energy use by electric ations of these rules have been adopted in about 30 though Congress did not pass a federal version of the Kansas，a law passed in 2009 requires utilities to use wind and solar power to generate
at least 15 percent of their electricity bv 2016 and 20 percent by 2020.
coalition seeking the repeal of the renewable mandate had all the ingredients for le came from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce，which lobbied heavily for addition，the state is home to Koch Industries，the Koch brothers’Wichita-based energy conglomerate(集團) state representative for Wichita，Republican Dennis Hedke，has called the company“one of the greatest success stories in the world”and said“they are making very positive contributions.”Hedke
chairs the state House’s Energy and Environment Committee.
Industries，along with the utility industry’s Edison Electric Institute and the nation’s biggest coal company,Peabody Energy,have supported h advised state lawmakers on repeal strategy.
N.“Koch has consistently opposed all subsidies and mandates across the cially as it relates to energy policy,”Philip Ellendea president and chief operating officer of Koch Companies Public Sector,said in a statement，citing the company’s opposition to the renewable fuel standard，wind production tax credit and ethanol(乙醇)mandate.“Government should not mandate the allocation or use of natural resources and raw materials in the production of goods.”
ideological case was supported by conservative think ans for Liberty supposed the state branch of Americans for Prosperity told supporters that“green energy mandates replace the free-market with bureaucratic government oversight，driving up costs for hard—working Kansas families.”The national group has spent$300.000 in the state pushing for the rollback of renewable standards.
ections to key Kansas politicians also were the Kansas state Senate’s n Wagle，and the speaker of the state House，Ray Merrick，are members of the ALEC board and backed repeal.“The repeal of the RPS[Renewable Portfolio Standards]fits in line with the goals of the organization，”said Wagle，who said she joined ALEC in the 1990s in connection with her opposition to health-care reforln led by Hillary Rodham the first lady.
over’the Kansas economy relies heavily on fossil state iS the nation’s 10th.1argest producer of crude oil and l 2th-largest of natural gas，according to the federal Energy Information 2013，coal-fired power plants provided 61 percent of the state’s electricity,well above the national the strong winds that blow across Kansas have carried new interests into the as ranks sixth in the country in wind output，which jumped by a third last year and equaled 19 percent of the state’s electricity,the EIA says.
R. The growing number of wind farms not only generates power but royalties for thy Barnett，executive director of the Climate and Energy Project，said that Kansas landowners receive more than$1 3 million a year.“This issue is an issue that touches rural Kansans，and we have a lot of rural Kansas legislators，”she said.
Resolutions with no binding force which are picky about the EPA power plant proposals have been accepted in many states such as Alabama and Georgia.
簡答題
3、Directions：For this part，you are d 30 minutes to write a short essay based on the picture below.
