听力原文： Geneva Trade ministers of the biggest commercial powers among developed and deve

听力原文： Geneva

Trade ministers of the biggest commercial powers among developed and developing nations are trying to agree the extent to which they will reduce barriers to trade in industrial and farm goods. The underlying objective is to make international commerce easier and cheaper and to boost incomes around the world. It would give an indication of how far the trade liberalization would go but they would still have a heavy workload in negotiating detailed tariff cuts, product by product. Campaign groups have criticized the way these meetings are organized. Critics say that works to the disadvantage of those countries not included, especially the smaller developing countries.

London

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offers to co-ordinate collaborative projects that can crack major scientific problems in the research of the HIV virus. The foundation says that they are also developing global access plans to ensure that any discoveries from the research will be accessible and affordable in developing countries. Almost 700 million dollars is spent annually on developing an HIV vaccine, but researchers say that this is only half of what needs to be spent to reach that goal. It's been 25 years since the HIV virus was identified but in that time scientists have struggled to develop an effective vaccine against it.

Tokyo

A new study finds that green tea significantly reduces the risk of death from many causes, including heart disease. The study did not find, however, that green tea has any effect on cancer, as has been previously claimed. The study took place in northeastern Japan, where 80 percent of the population drinks green tea. Researchers looked at more than 40,000 adults and compared those who drank less than one cup of tea a day to those who drank three to five cups a day. They found that over the span of 11 years, those who drank more tea were less likely to die of heart disease.

Washington

Russia is likely to obtain WTO membership soon, following its negotiations with the United States. WTO membership provides real economic benefits. The 149 member countries give each other preferential treatment on trade. The U.S. is the only WTO member that is not yet agreed to let Russia join. The primary objection is that Russia has said it will block U.S. beef and pork exports. But today the Russian and the U.S. governments have announced that Presidents Putin and Bush will sign an agreement next week at an Asian Summit.

Baghdad

The execution of Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, met with mixed reaction from the international community. U.S. President George W. Bush hailed the execution of the toppled Iraqi President as "an important milestone" on the road to building an Iraqi democracy. The European Union leaders and officials expressed opposition to the death penalty. The Russian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said it may result in deterioration of the military and political situation in Iraq and heighten the ethnic and religious tension. The Vatican said that the capital punishment was a "tragic" event that may risk sowing new violence in Iraq.

Questions:

6.What are trade ministers mainly discussing in Geneva？

7.According to researchers, how much money is needed every year to ensure the development of an HIV vaccine？

8.According to the study, what is the benefit of drinking green tea？

9.What is the biggest obstacle to Russia’s access to WTO？

10.Which of the following best summarizes the reaction of international community to the hanging of Saddam Hussein？

(26)

A．Reducing trade barriers in industrial and farm goods.

B．Debt relief for the developing countries.

C．Trade liberalization within the European Union.

D．Negotiating with the campaign groups.