Extensive Reading Lesson 32

美媒刊文把脉中国未来发展

美国《纽约时报》7月26日发表题为“中国未来的五个预兆”的文章称，对于中国而言，七月可以被称为“预兆之月”。从人口学上、经济学上、货币政策上，七月的中国可以让世界窥探到这个世界第三大经济体的未来何在。

1. 人口老龄化。亚洲开发银行认为到2050年，中国几乎五分之一的人超过65岁。这个问题关系重大，这意味着可以工作的劳动力日益减少，可能在中国还没有富裕之前，老龄化问题就会凸显。

2. 河南省变得“越来越大”。据官方估计，河南省人口在七月份已经超过了1亿。河南的人口已经超过了德国、法国和英国，但人均GDP与全国相比而言却低了20%。

3. 中国的出口引擎“倒转”。在2008年，中国的出口额下降就给中国带来了很多麻烦，而现在的出口增长也面临着同样的问题。

4. 中国的能源需求爆炸式增长。据世界能源署报告，2009年中国已经超过美国成为最大的能源消费大国，共使用了23亿吨的石油。虽然中国对这个称号予以否认，但是中国无疑是世界最大的资源进口者。

5. 银行打破另外一个记录。中国农业银行在香港和上海两地进行的首次公开募股（IPO）筹措资金192.1亿美元，并且如果算上超额配售的话，它很可能成为世界上筹资金额最大的IPO。这帮助中国打破了另外一个记录：它成为世界前三大公开募股市场，显示着新股票市场的东移。

毒死熊猫“泉泉”凶手被拘

新华社报道，涉嫌毒死济南动物园大熊猫“泉泉”的杨姓男子已于前天被济南警方刑事拘留。经审查，该男子22日在用于养殖蘑菇的防空洞内使用优氯净和锯末灭菌时产生毒气。毒气经由用来为熊猫馆降温的排风口进入馆内，致使大熊猫“泉泉”中毒死亡。

4000元方可保证香港游品质

《新京报》报道，香港旅游发展局主席田北俊昨日在京对媒体表示，4000元左右方可保证香港品质游，实现无强迫购物、无附加费。涉嫌强迫内地游客购物并辱骂游客的香港导游李巧珍也一并向内地游客和香港市民道歉。

田北俊建议内地游客最好参加由香港旅游发展局指定的“优质诚信香港游”合作旅行社组织的香港游。目前27个大陆城市中共有78 家这样的合作旅行社，报价因各自情况不同而略有差别。据介绍，“优质诚信香港游”共4条线路，基本涵盖了香港的所有景点，并包含一定时长的自由活动时间，游客可以自行购物。

鼻息可以控制轮椅

英国《每日电讯报》报道，高度瘫痪的病人有可能很快就可以只依靠自己的鼻息来控制轮椅甚至浏览网站。以色列魏茨曼科学研究所的科学家日前正在测试一个“鼻息感应器”，这个设备被安装在使用者的鼻孔中，它可以把鼻孔里面的气压变化转化为电子信号。这个感应器和特定的软件绑定后就可以移动电脑光标或者控制轮椅。比如，患者想要控制一台轮椅，可以用两次短促吸气来示意前进，两次短促呼气来示意后退。先吸气再呼气表示向左，反之向右。依据同样的道理，他们也可以用来控制电脑上的光标写字。

《大地震》广告植入遭批

冯小刚导演的《唐山大地震》因为过度植入广告，遭到媒体和大众的一致批评。这部135分钟的电影，贴片广告长达15分钟，相继明显地出现了酒类、银行、保险、手机、汽车和运动品牌的植入广告。

新华社报道，国家广电总局电影局副局长张宏森本周一指出，当前一些电影投制片方因担心影片遭到盗版而减少利润，从而在电影中植入广告。因此，严厉打击盗版是解决这一问题的有效途径。在《唐山大地震》正式上映的前两天，它的枪版就已现身。

然而网友们则认为像《唐山大地震》这种严肃题材的电影应该回避植入广告。《唐山大地震》总投资大约1.3亿，它的商标植入广告收入达到了近1亿，这还不包括唐山市政府投资的6000万。

载有152名乘客客机在巴基斯坦坠毁

据法新社报道，一架巴基斯坦蓝色航空公司（Air Blue）国内航线客机28日上午在伊斯兰堡附近山谷坠毁，机上载有152人。民航官员乔治称，Airblue202次航班是当地时间上午7:45分从巴基斯坦最大城市、金融首都卡拉奇起飞飞往伊斯兰堡，在准备降落时突然坠毁，机上载有146名乘客与6名机组人员。

马拉多纳下课

据美国有线电视新闻网报道，阿根廷足协当地时间周二宣布不与马拉多纳续约，马拉多纳将不再担任阿根廷国家队主教练。阿根廷青年队主教练、曾率阿根廷国奥获得北京奥运金牌的巴蒂斯塔将临时接替这一职位。

野生动物保护区迎来斑驴

据美联社报道，一头斑驴于大约一周前在美国乔治亚州达洛尼加市的切斯塔蒂野生动物保护区降生，引起了各方的关注。它的爸爸是头斑马，妈妈是头驴子。其腿部和面部均有黑色条纹。野生动物保护区的创办人C.W.沃森表示这头小驹有着斑马的天性。通常情况下驴和斑马不交配，所以斑驴这种动物很少见。

14岁女孩获准独自环球航行

据英国广播公司报道，名为劳拉·德克尔的14岁荷兰女孩赢得一项法律诉讼，被允许单人环球航行，以创造进行这项航行的最年轻水手新纪录。位于乌特勒支的荷兰少年儿童保护当局则认为，德克尔的社会和心理条件，都没有成熟到可以完成单人环球航行。此外，劳拉必须在2012年9月她满17岁之前完成这项耗时2年的航行，方可打破纪录。
 

Five omens for China's future

A New York Times article published on July 26, "Five Omens for China's Future," said five demographic, financial and monetary milestones provide an insight into the future of the world's third-biggest economy.

1. The population is aging: Almost a fifth of the population will be "aged" -- defined as over 65 years old -- by 2050, according to the Asian Development Bank. A surplus of old people and a shortage of young people might mean China gets old before it gets rich.

2. Henan Province got bigger: The population of China's biggest province passed 100 million in July, according to official estimates. Henan, 20 percent poorer on a per capita GDP basis than the country as a whole, has more people than Germany, France or Britain.

3. China's export engine revved back up: Falling exports led China into trouble in 2008 and now rising exports may do the same.

4. China's energy needs exploded: China surpassed the United States as the world's biggest consumer of energy in 2009, using the equivalent of 2.3 billion tons of oil, according to the International Energy Agency. Although China disputes the figures, it is already the world's biggest importer of resources.

5. Banks broke yet another record: The Agricultural Bank of China pulled off a $19 billion initial public offering in Shanghai and Hong Kong, which, if its overallotment option is exercised, will be the world's biggest, at US$22 billion. That helped China beat another record: it has hosted all of the world's three largest IPOs by value this year, demonstrating that the center of gravity for new stocks has shifted decisively east.

Man detained for poisoning panda

A man surnamed Yang was detained by police on July 26 on suspicion of causing the death of Quanquan, a panda in Jinan Zoo, Xinhua reported today. Allegedly, on July 22 the man used sodium dichloroisocyanurate and sawdust to fumigate a disused air-raid shelter he planned to use for planting mushrooms. This caused poison gas to be discharged through an ventilator shaft which had been used to cool the panda house, causing the tragedy.

4,000 yuan guarantees a good HK tour

4,000 yuan guarantees an all-in Hong Kong tour with no forced shopping or surcharges, Tian Beijun, President of the Hong Kong Tourism Development Bureau, said at a press conference in Beijing yesterday. Li Qiaozhen, a tour guide who forced mainland tourists to shop in certain Hong Kong stores, also apologized to mainland tourists and Hong Kong citizens, the Beijing Newsreported.

Tian said mainland tourists should try the "Honest and Quality Hong Kong Tour" organized in 27 mainland cities by 78 travel agencies appointed by the Hong Kong Tourism Development Bureau. Costs may vary slightly from agency to agency. There are four main itineraries, each covering most scenic spots in Hong Kong. Tourists will have plenty of free time and will be able to shop where they like.

Wheelchair 'driven by breathing'

People with severe paralysis may soon be able to surf the internet or drive a wheelchair simply by breathing, the Telegraph reports. Scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel are testing a "sniff detector" that is able to pick up pressure changes in the wearer's nasal cavity and convert them into electrical signals. The device can be hooked up to special software and used to move a curser on a computer screen or control a wheelchair. To control a wheelchair, for example, two short sniffs means a forward move, while two short exhalations means reverse. An exhale followed by a sniff signals left, and a sniff followed by an exhale signals right. Similar commands can move a cursor on a computer screen, allowing the user to write.

No piracy, no product placement

 

Rampant use of product placement in Director Feng Xiaogang's Aftershock has drawn criticism from the media and the public. The 135-minute film contains six obviously product placements lasting 15 minutes, including alcohol, a bank, insurance, a cell phone, a car, and sportswear.

According to Xinhua, Zhang Hongsen, vice director of the SARFT film department said Monday that advertisements in movies were necessary to allow film makers to make profits, as piracy poses a threat to revenues. He said a tougher crackdown on piracy was essential. The pirated version of Aftershock appeared two days before its national premier.

But Netizens say serious movies like Aftershock should steer clear of product placement. Aftershock, which cost 130 million yuan to make, received almost 100 million yuan from product placement deals and another 60 million yuan from the Tangshan municipal government.

Plane carrying 152 crashes in Pakistan

A Pakistani private Airblue plane crashed into hills near Islamabad Wednesday while preparing to land with 152 people on board, the AFP reported. Airblue flight 202 took off from Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city and financial capital, at 7:45 a.m. and was preparing to land when it crashed, civil aviation spokesman Pervez George told AFP. He said 146 passengers and six crew members were on the flight.

Maradona out as Argentine coach

Diego Maradona's contract as coach of the Argentine national soccer team will not be renewed, the Argentine Football Association said Tuesday, according to CNN. Sergio Batista, currently coach of the Argentine national youth program and coach of the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team, will take over temporarily.

Zedonk born in US wildlife preserve

A zedonk is the center of attention at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve in Dahlonega, Georgia, U.S. after being born there a week ago, AP reports. The animal, which has a zebra father and donkey mother, has black stripes on its legs and face. C.W. Wathen, the preserve's founder, said the foal has the instincts of a zebra. Donkeys and zebras rarely mate, but zedonks turn up occasionally.

Court says teenage Dutch girl can set sail

The BBC reports that Laura Dekker, a 14-year-old Dutch girl who wants to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world, has won a court's permission to attempt the voyage. The Child Protection Council of Utrecht claimed she was not capable of the undertaking due to her social and emotional immaturity. Laura must complete the two-year trip before she turns 17 in September 2012 to break the record.