Historically, the European Union has not bothered with funding much basic scientific research. Such activities have mainly remained the preserve of national governments, not least because giving scientists free rein can lead to discoveries that not only make money but ultimately enhance military might.
That attitude is now changing. The European Commission proposes to establish a European Research Council(ERC) that would spend a maximum of 12 billion( $14 billion) over seven years on" blue skies" research. While the plans are being generally welcomed by Europe’s member states, their details are problematic. The proposed ERC is intended to make Europe more competitive. Europe has some first-class universities, scientific institutions and research organisations, But, the ERC’ s proponents argue, their activities are fragmented, so they are not reaching their full potential.
In America, teams from across the country compete with each other for grants from the National Science Foundation. The proposed ERC is modelled on this scheme, It would award grants to individual research teams for a specific project, solely on the basis of scientific merit judged by peer review, If the ERC were created, scientists from across Europe would compete with each other for funds, rather than merely competing with their fellow countrymen, as hap pens at present.
This compares with the limited funding for basic research that currently exists in the EU, which places its emphasis on collaboration between researchers. It is open only to researchers in a narrow range of disciplines chosen by the European Parliament and the commission. The ERC would be quite different, placing its emphasis on competition between researchers and leaving scientists themselves to decide which areas of science to pursue. Helga Nowotny, who chairs the European Research Advisory Board--an advisory body to the commission— says that winning a grant from the ERC could come to be seen as unmistakable recognition of research excellence.
The quality of European research needs to be stepped up a notch. Between 1980 and 2003, Europe had 68 Nobel laureates in medicine, physics and chemistry compared with 154 in America. With competition from China and India, Europe’ s share could fall further.
One of the reasons for Europe’ s relatively weak performance is thought to be a lack of genuine competition between Europe’ s researchers. Another is its poor ability to attract young people into a research career. Recent estimates suggest that Europe needs an extra 700,000 researchers if it is to meet its overall target of raising spending (private, national and EU) on research and development to 3% of GDP by 2010. Many young scientists leave Europe for America once they have finished their training. Dr Nowotny says the ERC could help here too. It could establish a scheme to give young researchers the opportunity to follow their own ideas and become independent at an earlier stage in their careers, encouraging talent to stay in Europe.
The crucial issue now is whether the ERC will be able to set its own research agenda, free from the interference and bureaucracy of the commission and influence of member states. Last month,22 leading European scientists charged with shaping the ERC’s scientific strategy met for the first time to start hammering out a charter and constitution. Serious concerns remain over the legal structure of the body.
The final decision on the ERC’s legal form, on a date yet unspecified, rests with the European Parliament and member states in the European Council. If both are genuine in their support for the ERC and Europe’ s aim of becoming more competitive ,then they must find a way of keeping the ERC free from political interference. Europe would benefit from a competition for its best researchers which rewards scientific excellence. A quasi-competition that recognizes how many votes each member state is allotted would be pointless.
According to ERC supporters, scientists are not reaching their full potential because

A:the European Union is not as competitive as the U. S.. B:member states cannot cooperate as should have. C:Europe does not have enough top research institutions. D:research activities in Europe lack enough competition.

Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide the fact that similar needs are left in the rest of Europe. Studies by the Council of Europe, of which 21 countries are members, have shown that 45 percent of reptile species and 24 percent of butterflies are in danger of dying out.
Europe concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr, Peter Baum, an expert in the environment and nature resources division of the council, when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a British national park. The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the council’s diploma for nature reserves (自然保护区) of the highest quality, and Dr. Baum had come to present it to the park once again. He was afraid that public opinion was turning against national parks, and that those set up in the 1960s and 1970s could not be set up today. But Dr. Baum clearly remained a strong supporter of the view that natural environment needed to be allowed to survive in peace in their own right.
No area could be expected to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction, he went on. The short view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands for outdoor recreation should be replaced by full acceptance of their importance as places to preserve nature for the future.
"we forget that they are the guarantee of life systems, on which any built-up area ultimately depends," Dr. Baum went on. "We could manage without most industrial products, but we could not manage without nature. However, our natural environment areas, which are the original parts of our countryside, have shrunk to become mere islands in a spoiled and highly polluted land mass."

Recent studies by the Council of Europe show that（）

A:it is only in Britain that wildlife needs more protection B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhere D:certain species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need protecting

C
Franklin’s life is full of charming (有趣的) stories which all young men should know--how he peddled(叫卖) ballads in Boston, and stood, the guest of kings, in Europe; how he worked his pas sage as a stowaway to Philadelphia, and rode in the queen’s own litter in France; how he walked the streets of Philadelphia, homeless and unknown, with three penny rolls for his breakfast, and dined at the tables of princess, and received his friends in a palace; how he raised a kite from a cow shed, and was showered with all the high degrees the colleges of the world could give, how he was duped by a false friend as a boy, and became the friend of all humanity as a man; how he was made Major Gen eral Franklin, only to resign because; as he said, he was no soldier, and yet helped to organize the army that stood before the trained troops of England and Germany.
This poor Boston boy, with scarcely a day’s schooling, became master of six languages and never stopped studying; this neglected apprentice tamed the lightening, made his name famous, received degrees and diplomas from colleges in both hemispheres, and became forever remembered as "Doctor Franklin" ,philosopher ,patriot ,scientist ,philanthropist(慈善家) and statesman.
Self-made, self-taught, self-reared ,the candle maker’s son gave light to all the world; the street ballad seller set all men singing of liberty; the runaway apprentice became the most sought-after man of two continents, and brought his native land to praise and honour him.
He built America--for what our Republic today is largely due to the prudence, the forethought, the statesmanship, the enterprise, the wisdom, and the ability of Benjamin Franklin. He belongs to the world, but especially does he belong to America. As the nations honoured him while living, so the Re public glorifies him when dead, and has enshrined him in the choicest of its niches--the one he regarded as the loftiest--the hearts of the common people, from whom he had sprung and in their hearts Franklin will live forever.

In the third paragraph, "two continents' refer to （）

A:Europe and Asia B:America and Europe C:Africa and America D:Australia and Africa

Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide the fact that similar needs are left in the rest of Europe. Studies by the Council of Europe, of which 21 countries are members, have shown that 45 percent of reptile species and 24 percent of butterflies are in danger of dying out.
Europe concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr, Peter Baum, an expert in the environment and nature resources division of the council, when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a British national park. The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the council’s diploma for nature reserves (自然保护区) of the highest quality, and Dr. Baum had come to present it to the park once again. He was afraid that public opinion was turning against national parks, and that those set up in the 1960s and 1970s could not be set up today. But Dr. Baum clearly remained a strong supporter of the view that natural environment needed to be allowed to survive in peace in their own right.
No area could be expected to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction, he went on. The short view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands for outdoor recreation should be replaced by full acceptance of their importance as places to preserve nature for the future.
"we forget that they are the guarantee of life systems, on which any built-up area ultimately depends," Dr. Baum went on. "We could manage without most industrial products, but we could not manage without nature. However, our natural environment areas, which are the original parts of our countryside, have shrunk to become mere islands in a spoiled and highly polluted land mass."

Recent studies by the Council of Europe show that（　）

A:it is only in Britain that wildlife needs more protection B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhere D:certain species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need protecting

Recent studies by the Council of Europe show that ______.

A:it is only in Britain that wildlife needs more protection B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhere D:certain species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need protecting

Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide the fact that similar needs are felt in the rest of Europe. Studies by the Council of Europe, of which 21 counties are members, have shown that 45 percent of reptile(爬行类的) species and 24 percent of butterflies are in danger of dying out.
European concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr Peter Baum, an expert in the environment and natural resources division of the council, when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a British national park. The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the council’s diploma for nature reserves of the highest quality, and Dr. Peter Baum had come to present it to the park once again. He was afraid that public opinion was turning against national parks, and that those set up in the 1960s and 1970s could not be set up today. But Dr. Baum clearly remained a strong supporter of the view that natural environments needed to be allowed to survive in peace in their own right.
"No area could be expected to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction," he went on. The short-sighted(眼光短浅的) view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands for outdoor recreation should be replaced by full acceptance of their importance as places to preserve nature for the future.
"We forget that they are the guarantee of life systems, on which any built-up area ultimately depends, " Dr. Baum went on, "We could manage without most industrial products, but we could not manage without nature. However, our natural environment areas, which are the original parts of our countryside, have shrunk to become mere(纯粹的) islands in a spoiled and highly polluted land mass./
Recent studies by the council of Europe have indicated that

A:wildlife needs more protection only in Britain. B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out. C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than else where. D:many species of reptiles an butterflies in Europe need protecting.

{{B}}第三篇{{/B}}

Recent studies by the council of Europe have indicated that

A:wildlife needs more protection only in Britain. B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out. C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than else where. D:many species of reptiles an butterflies in Europe need protecting.

? ?下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题，每道题后面有4个选项。请根据文章的内容，从每题所给的4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。
{{B}}第一篇{{/B}}

Recent studies by the Council of Europe have indicated that

A:Britain is the only country where wildlife needs more protection. B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out. C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhere. D:many species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need protecting.

第一篇 Preserving Nature for Future Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide the fact that similar needs are felt in the rest of Europe．Studies by the Council of Europe，of which 21 countries are members，have shown that 45 per cent of reptile(爬行动物)species and 24 per cent of butterflies(蝴蝶)are in danger Of dying out． European concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr．Peter Baum，an expert in the environment and natural resources division of the council，when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a British national park．The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the council’s diploma(证书)for nature reserves(自然保护区)of me highest quality, and Dr．Baum had come to present it to the park once again．He was afraid that public opinion was turning against national parks，and that those set up in the 1960s and 1970s could not be set up today．But Dr．Baum clearly remained a strong supporter of the view that natural environments needed To be allowed to survive in peace in their own right． “No area could be expected to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction。”he went on．The short．sighted view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands for outdoor recreation(户外娱乐)should be replaced by full acceptance of their importance as places to preserve nature for the future． “We forget that they are the guarantee of life systems，on which any built-up area ultimately depends．”Dr．Baum went on．“We could manage without most industrial products，but we could not manage without nature．However, our natural environment areas，which are the original parts of our countryside，have shrunk(缩小)to become mere islands in a spoiled and highly polluted 1andmass．” Recent studies by the Council of Europe have indicated that

A:Britain is the only country where wildlife needs more protection． B:all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying out． C:there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhere D:many species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe need protecting．