[originaltext]Washington, USA In recent years, food shortages have led to p

游客2023-12-22  8

问题  
Washington, USA
    In recent years, food shortages have led to price rises and unrest in many import-dependent countries, including many in Africa. In the 2009 G-8 summit in Italy, major industrial countries promised more than $ 20 billion over three years to improve food access to Africans and others hit by high prices.
    This latest G8 summit, which begins later on Friday, is due to discuss the issue. However, its main focus will be continuing concerns that the euro zone debt crisis could trigger a global slump.
    On Thursday, confidence in European banks was undermined by ratings agency Moody’ s, which cut the credit ratings of 16 Spanish banks.
    Mr. Obama has urged European leaders to do more to stimulate growth, fearing the euro crisis could spread to the US.
Jerusalem, Israel
    The US has plans in place to attack Iran if other measures fail to stop it developing nuclear weapons, Washington’s envoy to Israel says.
    He said the US hoped diplomacy and sanctions would persuade Iran to alter its nuclear program, but a military option was "ready". US President Obama has previously said military action has not been ruled out.
    The US and its allies say Iran is developing a nuclear bomb, an accusation Tehran denies. Talks between Iran and six world powers are due to resume in Baghdad on 23 January.
    Both Israel and the US have said they consider military force a last resort to stop Iran using its uranium enrichment program to make a weapon.
Helsinki, Finland
    Nokia Company is tearing through its cash reserves at an unsustainable rate, raising what some analysts say are serious questions about the struggling Finnish phone maker’s ability to stabilize its finances in the months ahead. The company could even be at risk of default if it fails to slow the burning of its cash. Over the past five quarters, the one-time darling of mobile telecoms has eroded its cash pile by 2. 1 billion euros, a rate that would wipe out its entire 4. 9 billion euros reserves in a couple years.
    Analysts on average expect the company will burn through almost 2 billion euros more in just three quarters, while the most bearish see the company wiping out its 4. 9 billion euros net cash buffer completely next year.
Brasilia, Brazil
    Electricity prices are the biggest component of the so-called "Brazil cost", the mix of taxes, high interest rates, labor costs, infrastructure bottlenecks, and other issues that have caused the economy to become less competitive. After a decade of strong performance, Brazil grew below the Latin American average in 2011 and so far this year.
    Brazil’ s average electricity cost of $ 180 per megawatt hour is exceeded only by Italy and Slovakia, according to a 2011 study based on data from the International Energy Agency. High electricity rates have contributed to stagnant investment and production in energy-intensive industries. Electricity accounts for 35 percent, "an insane proportion", of the car industry’ s production costs.
Beirut, Syria
    At least 21 people were killed on Tuesday in an attack in northern Syria, and members of a team of U. N. monitors caught in the incident said they were in rebel hands "for their own protection. "
    When Reuters asked one of the four monitors by phone if they were being held prisoner, he said: "We are safe with the rebel Free Army. "
    A spokesman for the rebel military council said the rebels were working on a safe exit for the monitors. An internal U. N. document obtained by Reuters said that a total of six monitors were "under rebel protection in a friendly environment. "
    The internal U. N. document confirmed the U. N. team in Syria "will conduct a patrol to pick up the mentioned UN military observers" on Wednesday.
Question No. 6 What will be the main focus of the latest G-8 summit due Friday?
Question No. 7 What does the US envoy to Israel say about the issue of Iran’s nuclear program?
Question No. 8 How much is Nokia Company’s total cash reserves in euros?
Question No. 9 The so-called "Brazil cost" has made the economy less competitive. Which of the following are the biggest component of the "Brazil cost"?
Question No. 10 According to an internal U. N. document, how many U. N. military monitors were in the hands of the Syrian rebels?

选项 A、Taxes.
B、High interest rates.
C、Electricity costs.
D、Infrastructure bottlenecks.

答案 C

解析
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