1. Cloze (30%)
（http://www.qqenglish.com/bn/8698.htm附有参考翻译，出自纽约时报。）
The American Dream Is Leaving America
The best escalator to opportunity in America is education. But a new study underscores that the escalator is broken.
We expect each generation to do better, but, currently, more young American men have less education (29 percent) than their parents than have more education (20 percent).Among young Americans whose parents didn’t graduate from high school, only 5 percent make it through college themselves. In other rich countries, the figure is 23 percent.
The United States is devoting billions of dollars to compete with Russia militarily, but maybe we should try to compete educationally. Russia now has the largest percentage of adults with a university education of any industrialized country — a position once held by the United States, although we’re plunging in that roster.
These figures come from the annual survey of education from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or O.E.C.D., and it should be a shock to Americans.
A basic element of the American dream is equal access to education as the lubricant of social and economic mobility. But the American dream seems to have emigrated because many countries do better than the United States in educational mobility, according to the O.E.C.D. study.
As recently as 2000, the United States still ranked second in the share of the population with a college degree. Now we have dropped to fifth. Among 25-to-34-year-olds — a glimpse of how we will rank in the future — we rank 12th, while once-impoverished South Korea tops the list.
A new Pew survey finds that Americans consider the greatest threat to our country to be the growing gap between the rich and poor. Yet we have constructed an education system, dependent on local property taxes, that provides great schools for the rich kids in the suburbs who need the least help and broken, dangerous schools for inner-city children who desperately need a helping hand.
My dad was a World War II refugee who fled Ukraine and Romania and eventually made his way to France. He spoke perfect French, and Paris would have been a natural place to settle. But he felt that France was stratified and would offer little opportunity to a penniless Eastern European refugee, or even to his children a generation later, so he set out for the United States. He didn’t speak English, but, on arrival in 1951, he bought a copy of the Sunday edition of The New York Times and began to teach himself — and then he worked his way through Reed College and the University of Chicago, earning a Ph.D. and becoming a university professor.
He rode the American dream to success; so did his only child. But while he was right in 1951 to bet on opportunity in America rather than Europe, these days he would perhaps be wrong. Researchers find economic and educational mobility are now greater in Europe than in America.
That’s particularly sad because, as my Times colleague Eduardo Porter noted last month, egalitarian education used to be America’s strong suit. European countries excelled at first-rate education for the elites, but the United States led the way in mass education.
By the mid-1800s, most American states provided a free elementary education to the great majority of white children. In contrast, as late as 1870, only 2 percent of British 14-year-olds were in school.
Then the United States was the first major country, in the 1930s, in which a majority of children attended high school. By contrast, as late as 1957, only 9 percent of 17-year-olds in Britain were in school.
Until the 1970s, we were pre-eminent in mass education, and Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz of Harvard University argue powerfully that this was the secret to America’s economic rise. Then we blew it, and the latest O.E.C.D. report underscores how the rest of the world is eclipsing us.
In effect, the United States has become 19th-century Britain: We provide superb education for elites, but we falter at mass education.
In particular, we fail at early education. Across the O.E.C.D., an average of 70 percent of 3-year-olds is enrolled in education programs. In the United States, it’s 38 percent.
In some quarters, there’s a perception that American teachers are lazy. But the O.E.C.D. report indicates that American teachers work far longer hours than their counterparts abroad. Yet American teachers earn 68 percent as much as the average American college-educated worker, while the O.E.C.D. average is 88 percent.
Fixing the education system is the civil rights challenge of our era. A starting point is to embrace an ethos that was born in America but is now an expatriate: that we owe all children a fair start in life in the form of access to an education escalator.
2. Answering questions. (30%)
（1）. Why did the author's father leave his home country for America in 1951?(8%)
（2）. What was the educational mobility like in America before 1930s according to the author?(8%)
（3）. What was the secret to America's economic rise, according to Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz of the Harvard University?(4%)
（4）. What was 19th-century Britain like according to the author?(6%)
（5）. According to the author, what should be done to fix America's problem in education? (4%)
3. Writing (40%)
Would people be better off without religion?
Please write in an essay format and explain why or why not.
翻译基础
1. Please write a description the future of cities. (70%)中英文都可以
The Future of Cities
The Internet of Everything Will Change How We Live
By John Chambers and Wim Elfrink OCTOBER 31, 2014
As much as the Internet has already changed the world, it is the Web’s next phase that will bring the biggest opportunities, revolutionizing the way we live, work, play, and learn.
That next phase, which some call the Internet of Things and which we call the Internet of Everything, is the intelligent connection of people, processes, data, and things. Although it once seemed like a far-off idea, it is becoming a reality for businesses, governments, and academic institutions worldwide. Today, half the world’s population has access to the Internet; by 2020, two-thirds will be connected. Likewise, some 13.5 billion devices are connected to the Internet today; by 2020, we expect that number to climb to 50 billion. The things that are—and will be—connected aren’t just traditional devices, such as computers, tablets, and phones, but also parking spaces and alarm clocks, railroad tracks, street lights, garbage cans, and components of jet engines.
All of these connections are already generating massive amounts of digital data—and it doubles every two years. New tools will collect and share that data (some 15,000 applications are developed each week!) and, with analytics, that can be turned into information, intelligence, and even wisdom, enabling everyone to make better decisions, be more productive, and have more enriching experiences.
And the value that it will bring will be epic. In fact, the Internet of Everything has the potential to create $19 trillion in value over the next decade. For the global private sector, this equates to a 21 percent potential aggregate increase in corporate profits—or $14.4 trillion. The global public sector will benefit as well, using the Internet of Everything as a vehicle for the digitization of cities and countries. This will improve efficiency and cut costs, resulting in as much as $4.6 trillion of total value. Beyond that, it will help (and already is helping) address some of the world’s most vexing challenges: aging and growing populations rapidly moving to urban centers; growing demand for increasingly limited natural resources; and massive rebalancing in economic growth between briskly growing emerging market countries and slowing developed countries.
PHYSICAL LIMITS
More than half of the world’s population now lives in or near a major urban area, and the move toward ever-greater urbanization shows no signs of slowing. According to the United Nations, the global population is expected to grow from seven billion today to 9.3 billion by 2050, and the world’s cities will have to accommodate about 70 percent more residents.
The traditional ways of dealing with the influx—simply adding more physical infrastructure—won’t work, given limited resources and space. New ways of incorporating technology will be required to provide urban services, whether it’s roads, water, electricity, gas, work spaces, schools, or healthcare. In the future, there will be less emphasis on physical connections and more on access to virtual connections.
Cities also face budgetary challenges, battling rising costs and shrinking resources. The world’s cities account for 70 percent of greenhouse-gas emissions, and according to UN-HABITAT, energy-related costs are one of the biggest municipal budget items. Technology could provide a simple fix just by updating aging street lighting systems. That would also improve citizen safety and create a more favorable environment for business investments.
There are similar issues in many of the world’s water systems, with aging pipes in desperate need of replacing. For instance, the United States’ water infrastructure is near the end of its lifecycle with approximately 240,000 water main breaks each year. The cost of fixing this crumbling infrastructure could exceed $1 trillion over the next 25 years, assuming that all pipes are replaced. By placing networked sensors in water mains and underground pipe systems as they are repaired and replaced, cities could more effectively monitor and better anticipate future leaks and other potential problems as the infrastructure is upgraded.
More people also means more waste. The amount of municipal solid waste generated around the world is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons by 2025—up from 1.3 billion in 2012. Globally, solid waste management costs will rise to about $375.5 billion by 2025, according to predictions by the World Bank. Once again, the Internet of Everything offers ways to better manage and reduce these costs. For example, sensors in residential and commercial garbage containers could alert a city waste management system when they are full. Each morning, the drivers would receive their optimized route to empty the full containers. Compared to today’s fixed-route system, the new system could save millions of dollars by increasing efficiencies and worker productivity.
The intelligent and efficient stewardship of growing cities must take top priority. And there, we are convinced that the Internet of Everything will bring one of the most significant technology transitions since the birth of the Internet. Connections between things and people, supported by networked processes, will enable everyone to turn data into actionable information that can be used to do things that weren’t possible before, or to do them better. We can more quickly discover patterns and trends; we can predict and prepare for anything from bus or assembly line breakdowns to natural disasters and quick surges in product demand.
PUBLIC GOOD
Perhaps surprisingly, the public sector has been the most effective and innovative early adopter when it comes to making use of the Internet of Everything, especially in major metropolitan areas. New and innovative solutions are already transforming green fields and rundown urban centers into what we call Smart + Connected Communities, or Smart Cities. According to IHS Technology, the total number of Smart Cities will quadruple from 21 to 88 between 2013 and 2025. At Cisco, we are engaged with more than 100 cities in different stages of Smart City development.
By definition, Smart Cities are those that integrate information communications technology across three or more functional areas. More simply put, a Smart City is one that combines traditional infrastructure (roads, buildings, and so on) with technology to enrich the lives of its citizens. Creative platforms and killer apps have helped reduce traffic, parking congestion, pollution, energy consumption, and crime. They have also generated revenue and reduced costs for city residents and visitors.
For instance, one-third of the world’s streetlights use technology from the 1960s. Cities that update aging systems with networked motion-detection lights save administrative and management time as well as electricity and costs—as much as 70–80 percent, according to an independent, global trial of LED technology. By using such energy-saving technologies, cities can drastically lower their municipal expenditures on electricity. Cisco estimates that smart street lighting initiatives can also reduce area crime by seven percent because of better visibility and more content citizenry. Further, connected light poles can serve as wireless networking access points, enabling citizens and city managers to take advantage of pervasive connectivity. And networked sensors incorporated into utility lines could help reduce costs for both consumers and providers, with meters being “read” remotely, and much more accurately. Cities such as Nice, France are already implementing smart lighting, which monitors lamp intensity and traffic sensors to reduce car theft, assaults, and even home burglary. These lighting initiatives are also expected to reduce the city’s energy bill by more than $8 million.
Smart Cities are also saving energy indoors. Buildings outfitted with intelligent sensors and networked management systems can collect and analyze energy-use data. Such technologies have the potential to reduce energy consumption and cut costs by $100 billion globally over the next decade.
Thanks to higher traffic, cities generate more than 67 percent of greenhouse gases released into our atmosphere. Experts predict that this figure will rise to 74 percent by 2030. In the United States alone, traffic congestion costs $121 billion a year in wasted time and fuel. Incredibly, drivers looking for a parking space cause 30 percent of urban congestion, not to mention pollution. To overcome this problem, the city of San Carlos, California has embedded networked sensors into parking spaces that relay to drivers real-time information about—and directions to—available spots. This program has helped reduce congestion, pollution, and fuel consumption. Moreover, parking fees can be dynamically adjusted for peak times, which generates more revenue for cities.
Cities can also integrate sensors that collect and share real-time data about public transportation systems to improve traffic flow and better monitor the use of buses and trains, giving them the ability to adjust route times and frequency of stops based on changing needs. This alone will cut costs and bring new efficiencies. Mobile apps that aggregate the information, meanwhile, can help citizens track delays or check pick-up times for a more seamless commute. Barcelona, Spain has already changed the typical experience of waiting for a bus by deploying smart bus stops, where citizens can use touchscreen monitors to view up-to-date bus schedules, maps, locations for borrowing city-owned bikes, and local businesses and entertainment.
Innovative municipal leaders understand the Internet of Everything’s incredible promise. In fact, these days, the most innovative cities have their own chief information officers or even chief digital officers.
2. Please write a summary in English. （80%）
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-11/04/c_1113103683.htm出自新华网
树立高度的文化自信，讲好中国故事
2014年11月04日 09:38:50 新华每日电讯
博大精深的传统文化、丰富多彩的民族文化、独具特色的红色文化、充满生机的当代文化——中华民族创造的文化,是我们引以为豪的软实力,也是我们文化自信的底气所在。要讲好中国故事、弘扬中国精神,最好的手段就是文化的手段,最有力的媒介就就是文化的媒介
文化交流是沟通心灵的桥梁,在国际交往中具有不可替代的重要作用。要认真学习贯彻习近平总书记重要讲话精神,进一步增强文化自觉、文化自信,积极主动做好对外文化交流工作,让世界各国人民更好地感知中国、了解中国。云山同志强调,要充分发挥我们的文化优势,讲好中国故事、弘扬中国精神,把一个文明进步、开放包容、繁荣发展的中国展现在世界人民面前。
树立高度的文化自信,是增强文化自觉的前提。只有自信才会自觉,只有自信才能自强。“对绵延5000多年的中华文明,我们应该多一份尊重,多一份思考。”中华文化是世界文化大花园中的瑰宝,历经岁月洗礼而深厚凝重。博大精深的传统文化、丰富多彩的民族文化、独具特色的红色文化、充满生机的当代文化——我们这个民族创造的文化如此灿烂辉煌,这是我们引以为豪的软实力,也是我们文化自信的底气所在。
“为什么我的眼中饱含泪水,因为我对这片土地爱得深沉。”辽阔壮丽的祖国河山,是我们祖先埋骨之地,璀璨夺目的中华文化,是滋养中华儿女的精神家园,我们有责任倍加珍惜,传承弘扬和光大。
丘吉尔有句名言:我宁可失去一个印度,也不愿失去一位莎士比亚。丘吉尔并非真的愿意放弃英国当年的殖民地印度,而是借莎翁强调对英国文化的珍惜。如果说,丘吉尔作为殖民者带有偏见与傲慢,中华民族可贵的品格,是在平等对待世界各民族文化的前提下,珍爱自己民族创造的伟大文化。对自己的文化,我们没有必要自傲、自得、自满,但有理由自觉、自信、自强。
文化唯有流动才能彰显活力。“不忘本来、吸收外来、面向未来”,这是我们在促进文化发展和繁荣中必须秉持的准则。中华文化一个重要的特点是包容开放,要大胆吸收,让文化成为沟通的桥梁,才能不断生生不息、不断生机勃勃、不断增强自信的底气。在中国历史上,文化鼎盛的朝代也是文化交流交融最频繁的时期。盛唐时五方杂处、万国来仪,就是文化昌盛的时期。诚如孔子所说:“故远人不服,则修文德以来之。”正因为中华文化的强大包容性,数千年来在漫长的交流交融中生生不息,更丰富、更繁荣。
“倘若你有一个苹果,我也有一个苹果,彼此交换后还是各有一个苹果；但是你有一种思想,我有一种思想,而彼此交流这些思想,那么我们就各有两种思想。”这是现代管理学中的一个经典。文化交流互鉴更是如此。要讲好中国故事、弘扬中国精神,最好的手段就是文化的手段,最有力的媒介就就是文化的媒介。我们要发挥好中华文化的独特优势,把能够运用的手段充分调动起来,以最形象生动的传播,向世界呈现悠久灿烂的中华文化、说明我们的文明进步和平发展,诠释中国梦的丰富内涵。
我们有能力创造中国故事,也一定有能力讲好中国故事。
百科知识与汉语写作
1. 填空（30分）
(1) 元代铁木真被尊称为：成吉思汗。
(2) “石”是古代的容量单位，“一石”等于100 升，读作：dan4.（注：十升为一斗，十斗为一石）
(3) “药石”在古代泛指药物，其中“石”指的是砭石，通常用作石针或石片。
(4) 南朝经历了四个朝代，分别是宋、齐、梁、陈。
(5) 京剧四功指的是唱、念、做、打，是京剧演员的四种基本功。
(6) 芙蕖和菡萏指的是莲花。
(7) 程颐和程颢是宋代理学的创始人，理学的集大成者是朱熹。
(8) 令爱指的是：对方女儿。
2. 成语解释，请写出释义，典故出处并造句。（40分）
破釜沉舟
负荆请罪
韦编三绝
想当然
围魏救赵
3. 汉语写作。（80分）
请根据下面一篇文章，写一篇读后感，不少于1000字。
人民日报社论：实现依法治国的历史跨越
社会主义现代化建设，离不开法治的引领和规范；中华民族的伟大复兴，离不开法治的保障和支撑。
刚刚闭幕的党的十八届四中全会，审议通过了《中共中央关于全面推进依法治国若干重大问题的决定》。《决定》立足我国社会主义法治建设实际，直面我国法治建设领域的突出问题，明确提出了全面推进依法治国的指导思想、总体目标、基本原则，提出了关于依法治国的一系列新观点、新举措，回答了党的领导和依法治国关系等一系列重大理论和实践问题，对科学立法、严格执法、公正司法、全民守法、法治队伍建设、加强和改进党对全面推进依法治国的领导作出了全面部署，回应了人民呼声和社会关切，必将有力推进依法治国进程，是加快建设社会主义法治国家的纲领性文件。
在我们这样一个13亿多人口的发展中大国全面推进依法治国，是国家治理领域一场广泛而深刻的革命。全会《决定》明确指出，全面推进依法治国，总目标是建设中国特色社会主义法治体系，建设社会主义法治国家。实现这个总目标，必须坚持中国共产党的领导，必须坚持中国特色社会主义制度，必须贯彻中国特色社会主义法治理论。党的领导是中国特色社会主义最本质的特征，也是社会主义法治最根本的保证；中国特色社会主义制度是法治体系的根本制度基础，也是全面推进依法治国的根本制度保障；中国特色社会主义法治理论是法治体系的理论指导和学理支撑，是全面推进依法治国的行动指南。这三个方面构成中国特色社会主义法治道路的核心要义，规定和确保了中国特色社会主义法治体系的制度属性和前进方向。
党的领导和依法治国的关系是法治建设的核心问题。坚持依法治国首先要坚持依宪治国，坚持依法执政首先要坚持依宪执政。我国宪法以国家根本法的形式反映了党领导人民进行革命、建设、改革取得的成果，确立了在历史和人民选择中形成的中国共产党的领导地位。在我国，坚持党的领导，是党和国家的根本所在、命脉所在，是全国各族人民的利益所系、幸福所系，是社会主义法治的根本要求和全面推进依法治国的题中应有之义。党的领导和社会主义法治是一致的，社会主义法治必须坚持党的领导，党的领导必须依靠社会主义法治，党要领导立法、保证执法、支持司法、带头守法。把坚持党的领导、人民当家作主、依法治国有机统一起来，是我国社会主义法治建设的一条基本经验，也是我国法治与西方所谓“宪政”的根本区别。
法律是治国之重器，法治是国家治理体系和治理能力的重要依托。现在，全面建成小康社会进入决定性阶段，改革进入攻坚期和深水区，我们面对的改革发展稳定任务之重前所未有、矛盾风险挑战之多前所未有，依法治国在党和国家工作全局中的地位更加突出、作用更加重大。全面推进依法治国，关系我们党执政兴国、关系人民幸福安康、关系党和国家长治久安。要推动我国经济社会持续健康发展、不断解放和增强社会活力、促进社会公平正义、维护社会和谐稳定，不断开拓中国特色社会主义更加广阔的发展前景，就必须全面推进社会主义法治国家建设，更好统筹社会力量、平衡社会利益、调节社会关系、规范社会行为，使我国社会在深刻变革中既生机勃勃又井然有序，实现经济发展、政治清明、文化昌盛、社会公正、生态良好，实现我国和平发展的战略目标。
“法者，治之端也。”今日中国，法治正在成为国家治理理念、社会共同信仰。党的十八届四中全会向国内外鲜明宣示，我们将坚定不移走中国特色社会主义法治道路，以建设中国特色社会主义法治体系为总抓手，在法治轨道上推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化，为建设法治中国而奋斗 !
（编辑：祁霞）
