Mr Singh says his generation could only dream, but de new one can ______ too.
Mr. Singh: Whenever a country modernises there is speculation that the new generation will be dramatically different from those that preceded it, in particular more Westernised. Much of that speculation is based on superficial observations regarding rock music and the like. However most studies show that new generations retain much, though not all, of the core values of their culture. Cultures change very slowly. What is changing quickly is the environment in which they live, their living standards, opportunities for advancement, and self-fulfilment. Young Indians certainly have more opportunities today.
Presenter: Where does your information come from?
Mr Singh: I have two children in their early twenties. I see their generation at close quarters. I often travel to both rural and urban places in India, and I see the young people there. The current generation has. by and large, rejected politics as a primary concern. They have grown up with a TV and a telephone either at home or in the vicinity. They have watched MTV but they still go the temple, and most of them seriously believe that God exists. Regarding the opportunities that Mr Singh mentioned, for the first time, it is acceptable in India for a kid to say that he or she wants to be an actor, a singer, a fashion designer, a writer, a cricket player as a profession without parents losing sleep. It also means that they have many choices of role model. When I look at young people around me, I see more hope than helplessness.
Presenter: Mr Singh, what is the main advantage that young people in India have?
Mr Singh: The biggest advantage the youth of India have is mobility. It is very easy for them to move about the country and follow opportunities--an edge the Chinese youth, for example, do not currently have. Also, young Indians are quickly adapting to new technologies, and English is now being more widely accepted and spoken than ever before. India's youth have a very unique advantage, a combination of mobility, language and knowledge of technology. Add to that a country that has an entrepreneurial spirit and a very clear intent to adapt to Western culture.
Presenter: Are there any problems, as far as you can see?
Mr Singh: I think that the biggest overall problem is with infrastructure, but as far as things that directly affect the younger generation are concerned, I think that the main problem is that parents from the growing middle class are pushing their children ever harder at academic activities. They believe this is the only way to stand out and survive in a system which is cutthroat because of the exploding population and as education becomes more and more accessible to the masses. However, many parents are granting their children more choice, particularly in the area of choosing their own careers. The youth of today are definitely more aware of the choices available to them.
Presenter: Do you think that competition is a problem?
Mr Singh: Not at all. It leads to creativity. The younger generation is more creative. Competition ensures that creativity is likely to be the best way to get ahead. Though it is largely believed that the culture-and-value-system-torch-bearing youth are losing their way, I still believe that relates to a small percentage. The combination of the Indian value system and the Western approach is a winning one and if the Indian youth can manage to achieve the fight balance, global organisations will want their skills.
Presenter: Mr Singh, you sound very confident?
Mr Singh: I am. Every generation will experience change. This will be more dramatic especia
SECTION 2 Optional Translation (30 points)
Campaigning for votes in the western province of Maharashtra this month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India vowed to give such a remarkable facelift to Mumbai, the state capital, that people "should forget talking about Shanghai."
Now that the election results are in, and a coalition led by Singh's Congress Party has retained power in the province, the prime minister must make good his promise, which will take more than a paint job.
The consulting firm McKinsey says it would cost $ 44 billion to make Mumbai a world-class city that can rank alongside Shanghai.
A revival of Mumbai, the country's trade and entertainment hub, is more than a matter of image. It's an economic necessity.
The city of 12 million fills two-fifths of the nation's corporate-tax kitty, yet a third of its people live in slums.
Mumbai's economy has lagged the national average growth rate of about 7 percent since 1998 — a level of underperformance that is impossible to reverse without mending the city's creaky infrastructure.
A choked, potholed Mumbai is symptomatic of a wider urban malaise. It isn't that a fast-growing economy like India can't find the resources to invest in its cities, where much of its economic growth is being produced.
By 2025, one of (the) two Indians would be living in an urban center, up from one in three now.
Morgan Stanley's chief economist, Stephen Roach, recently undertook a 115-mile, or 184-kilometer, car journey from Mumbai to the industrial city of Pune on a new expressway, which he says "is a huge cut above any of the other motor routes that I had been on in India."
Yet, by Chinese standards, the new road merits a "B minus, at best," he says. "If this is progress in closing India's infrastructure gap, the problem is even worse than I had imagined."
"Yes," the old man answer, "I will show you the way." He ___23___ Mr Green's car, and they drive about twelve miles. While they come to a small house, the old man says, "Stop here." Mr Green stops and ___24___ the house. "But this isn't the hotel,"he says to the old man. "Right," the old man answers, "this is my house. And now I'll show you the ___25___ to the bookshop. Turn around and go back nine miles. Then you'll see the bookshop."
21)、
A.gets on
B.on
C.to go
D.way
E.see
22)、
A.gets on
B.on
C.to go
D.way
E.see
23)、
A.gets on
B.on
C.to go
D.way
E.see
24)、
A.gets on
B.on
C.to go
D.way
E.see
25)、
A.gets on
B.on
C.to go
D.way
E.see
Questions 16-20
Complete the following sentences using NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each gap.
According to Mr Singh, the biggest problem for young Indians is that their parents ______ them too much at school.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. At the end of each news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.
听力原文: President Clinton begins a 3-day campaign-styled trip to the western US later today to highlight his domestic agenda.
White House spokesman says crime, the most important issue for Americans this election year according to public opinion polls, will be a key theme of President Clinton's trips to California, Nevada and New Mexico. Mr Clinton's presumptive Republican challenger, retiring Senator Bob Dole, has repeatedly disapproved of Mr Clinton's record on fighting crime. The president is expected to argue that his policies have helped make American communities safer places. Mr Clinton will also attend a number of politicalfund-raising events during his visits to California and Nevada.
Senator Bob Dole's attitude towards Clinton's anti-crime policy is that of
A.opposition.
B.support.
C.ambiguity.
D.indifference.
PART 4
Read the text and questions below. For each question, mark the letter next to the correct answer —A, B, C or D —on your answer sheet.
The shoemaker
Bill Bird is a shoemaker who cannot make shoes fast enough for his growing number of customers — and he charges more than £300 for a pair! Customers travel hundreds of kilometres to his London shoe clinic or to his workshop in the countryside to have their feet measured. He makes shoes for people with feet of unusual sizes: very large, very small, very broad or very narrow. The shoes are at least as fashionable as those found in ordinary shops.
Mr Bird says: 'My problem is that I cannot find skilled workers. Young people all seem to prefer to work with computers these days. We will lose the necessary skills soon because there are fewer and fewer shoemakers nowadays. I am 45, and now I want to teach young people everything I know about making shoes. It's a good job, and a lot of people want to buy beautiful shoes specially made for them.'
He started in the business 19 years ago and now he employs three other people. His customers pay about £500 for their first pair of shoes. He says: 'Our customers come because they want comfortable shoes which are exactly the right size.' Extra pairs of shoes cost between£320 and £450, as it takes one employee a whole week to make just one shoe.
What is the writer trying to de in the text?
A.describe where Mr Bird finds his staff
B.encourage people to wear comfortable shoes
C.advertise a job selling expensive shoes
D.show Mr Bird's worries about his trade
为了保护您的账号安全,请在“简答题”公众号进行验证,点击“官网服务”-“账号验证”后输入验证码“”完成验证,验证成功后方可继续查看答案!