There was, last week, a glimmer of hope in the wor...

There was, last week, a glimmer of hope in the world food crisis. Expecting a bumper harvest, Ukraine relaxed restrictions on exports. Overnight, global wheat prices fell by 10 percent.

By contrast, traders in Bangkok quote rice prices around $1,000 a ton, up from $460 two months ago.

Such is the volatility of today’s markets. We do not know how high food prices might go, nor how far they could fall. But one thing is certain: We have gone from an era of plenty to one of scarcity. Experts agree that food prices are not likely to return to the levels the world had grown accustomed to any time soon.

Imagine the situation of those living on less than $1 a day - the “bottom billion,” the poorest of the world’s poor. Most live in Africa, and many might typically spend two-thirds of their income on food.

In Liberia last week, I heard how people have stopped purchasing imported rice by the bag. Instead, they increasingly buy it by the cup, because that’s all they can afford.

Traveling though West Africa, I found good reason for optimism. In Burkina Faso, I saw a government working to import drought resistant seeds and better manage scarce water supplies, helped by nations like Brazil. In Ivory Coast, we saw a women’s cooperative running a chicken farm set up with UN funds. The project generated income - and food - for villagers in ways that can easily be replicated.

Elsewhere, I saw yet another women’s group slowly expanding their local agricultural production, with UN help. Soon they will replace World Food Program rice with their own home-grown produce, sufficient to cover the needs of their school feeding program.

These are home-grown, grass-roots solutions for grass-roots problems - precisely the kind of solutions that Africa needs.

There was a man who had four sons. He hoped his sons could learn not to judge things too quickly.

So one day he gavehis four sons a task, asking each of them to go to see a pear tree at a distance in different seasons.

The first son set out in winter, the second in spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in autumn.

When all of them returned home, the man called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said the tree was ugly, bent, without leaves and therefore hopeless.

The second son said it was not like that, but the tree was covered with green buds (芽 and full of hope.

The third son disagreed, saying that it was full of flowers which smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, and that hehad never seen such beautiful scenery.

The last son disagreed with all of them, saying that the tree was filled with fruits, full of life and happiness.

The man told his four sons that all of them were correct, because they only saw the tree in one season. He told themthat they could not judge a tree or a person only by one season, and that only when all the seasons were over could theyknow a tree or a person fully.

We can learn more from this story. If we just give up in winter, we will miss the hope of spring, the beauty of summerand the harvest of autumn in our life.

The man wanted his sons not to____________

A.have a harvest too soon

B.accept a task loo quickly

C.make a conclusion too soon

D.give n description too quickly

According to the second son, the tree was————

A.lifeless

B.hopeful

C.fruitless

D.beautiful

In the eyes of the third son, the pear tree was a beautiful view.A.in spring

B.in winter

C.in autumn

D.in summer

When the youngest son saw the tree, it was a season of.A.harvest

B.promise

C.coldness

D.sweetness

What can we learn from the last paragraph？A.We can enjoy sweet fruits in autumn.

B.We can enjoy a beautiful view in summer.

C.We should not lose hope when we are in difficulty.

D.We should lose hope when we are feeling cold.

Which of the following activities was the responsibility of the federal government in the nineteenth century?

A．Controlling of the manufacture of gunpowder.

B．Determining the conditions under which individuals worked.

C．Regulation of the supply of money.

D．Inspection of new homes built on western lands.

听力原文：Last week at the sale Jane bought herself an overcoat for 30 pounds which was one quarter of the regular price.

How much does the overcoat cost at the regular price?

A．120.

B．15.

C．60.

D．45.

听力原文：Last week at the sale Jane bought herself an overcoat for 30 pounds which was one quarter of the regular price.

How much does the overcoat cost at the regular price?

A．120.

B．15.

C．60.

D．45.