If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow- covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally (of sorts). Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.
Fearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and that Gerard Mestrallet, boss of Suez, a French water and power company, expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030 much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia’s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world’s oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world’s dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.
Fear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out.
With oil costing $60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long today’s tight markets will last. "It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back," says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as "The Death of Oil" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic.
Based on the remarks made by Robin West, the current situation will ______.

A:vanish B:linger C:aggravate D:rebound.

Optimism is the art of always seeing the glass half full (1) half empty, finding something positive in even the most (2) of situations and last but not least the ability to expect the best even if the chances are (3) . It enables you to try new things, deal with failure as a learning experience (4) a stopping point. In general optimism gives you a reason to live. The world would be a better place if it was full of optimism, (5) unfortunately the trend in today’s youth is (6) the opposite way. Today it is (7) to be pessimistic. One could spend hours discussing how we arrived at this point, (8) our youth refuses to smell the roses and instead prefers to (9) themselves on their own pessimistic (10) .
Optimism is not an (11) gift but rather a learned behavior (12) . Like most behaviors optimism is best learned by watching examples, (13) you. The first step in creating a generation of people with a positive outlook on life, is to (14) life on the bright side yourself. (15) it would be wrong to (16) your child from all negativity, it is important that you are not the (17) of doubts and worries. Finding something positive in a negative situation needs to be (18) Show how to make the best of things by always (19) the positive, by encouraging your child after a(n) (20) and by explaining over and over that failure is just a part of progress.

Read tile following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.9()

A:celebrate B:choke C:linger D:repress

Scientists around the world are racing to learn how to rapidly diagnose, treat and stop the spread of a new, deadly disease. SARS — Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome — was (1) for the first time in February 2003 in Hanoi, (2) since then has infected more than 1,600 people in 15 countries, killing 63. At this (3) , there are more questions than answers surrounding the disease.
Symptoms start (4) a fever over 100.4 degrees F, chills, headache or body (5) . Within a week, the patient has a dry cough, which might (6) to shortness of breath. In 10% to 200% of cases, patients require (7) ventilation to breathe. About 3.5% die from the disease. Symptoms (8) begin in two to seven days, but some reports suggest it (9) take as long as 10 days. Scientists are close to (10) a lab test to diagnose SARS. In the meantime, it is diagnosed by its symptoms. There is no evidence (11) antibiotics or anti-viral medicines help, (12) doctors can offer only supportive care. Patients with SARS are kept in isolation to reduce the risk of (13) . Scientists aren’t sure yet, but some researchers think it’s a (14) discovered coronavirus, the family of viruses that cause some common colds.
Most cases appear to have been passed (15) droplets expelled when infected patients cough or sneeze. Family members of infected people and medical workers who care for them have been most likely to (16) the illness. But recent developments in Hong Kong suggest that the (17) might spread through air, or that the virus might (18) for two to three hours on doorknobs or other (19) Health experts say it is (20) , though, that sharing an elevator briefly with an infected person would be enough to pass the virus.

Read the following text. Choose the best word (s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.18()

A:continue B:linger C:delay D:persist

Scientists around the world are racing to learn how to rapidly diagnose, treat and stop the spread of a new, deadly disease. SARS — Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome — was (1) for the first time in February 2003 in Hanoi, (2) since then has infected more than 1,600 people in 15 countries, killing 63. At this (3) , there are more questions than answers surrounding the disease.
Symptoms start (4) a fever over 100.4 degrees F, chills, headache or body (5) . Within a week, the patient has a dry cough, which might (6) to shortness of breath. In 10% to 200% of cases, patients require (7) ventilation to breathe. About 3.5% die from the disease. Symptoms (8) begin in two to seven days, but some reports suggest it (9) take as long as 10 days. Scientists are close to (10) a lab test to diagnose SARS. In the meantime, it is diagnosed by its symptoms. There is no evidence (11) antibiotics or anti-viral medicines help, (12) doctors can offer only supportive care. Patients with SARS are kept in isolation to reduce the risk of (13) . Scientists aren’t sure yet, but some researchers think it’s a (14) discovered coronavirus, the family of viruses that cause some common colds.
Most cases appear to have been passed (15) droplets expelled when infected patients cough or sneeze. Family members of infected people and medical workers who care for them have been most likely to (16) the illness. But recent developments in Hong Kong suggest that the (17) might spread through air, or that the virus might (18) for two to three hours on doorknobs or other (19) Health experts say it is (20) , though, that sharing an elevator briefly with an infected person would be enough to pass the virus.

18()

A:continue B:linger C:delay D:persist

Optimism is the art of always seeing the glass half full (1) half empty, finding something positive in even the most (2) of situations and last but not least the ability to expect the best even if the chances are (3) . It enables you to try new things, deal with failure as a learning experience (4) a stopping point. In general optimism gives you a reason to live. The world would be a better place if it was full of optimism, (5) unfortunately the trend in today’s youth is (6) the opposite way. Today it is (7) to be pessimistic. One could spend hours discussing how we arrived at this point, (8) our youth refuses to smell the roses and instead prefers to (9) themselves on their own pessimistic (10) .
Optimism is not an (11) gift but rather a learned behavior (12) . Like most behaviors optimism is best learned by watching examples, (13) you. The first step in creating a generation of people with a positive outlook on life, is to (14) life on the bright side yourself. (15) it would be wrong to (16) your child from all negativity, it is important that you are not the (17) of doubts and worries. Finding something positive in a negative situation needs to be (18) Show how to make the best of things by always (19) the positive, by encouraging your child after a(n) (20) and by explaining over and over that failure is just a part of progress.

9()

A:celebrate B:choke C:linger D:repress

If you leave a loaded weapon lying around, it is bound to go off sooner or later. Snow-covered northern Europe heard the gunshot loud and clear when Russia cut supplies to Ukraine this week as part of a row about money and power, the two eternal battlegrounds of global energy. From central Europe right across to France on the Atlantic seaboard, gas supplies fell by more than one-third. For years Europeans had been telling themselves that a cold-war enemy which had supplied them without fail could still be depended on now it was an ally ( of sorts). Suddenly, nobody was quite so sure.
Fearing the threat to its reputation as a supplier, Russia rapidly restored the gas and settled its differences with Ukraine. But it was an uncomfortable glimpse of the dangers for a continent that imports roughly half its gas and that Gérard Mestrallet, boss of Suez, a French water and power company, expects to be importing 80% of its gas by 2030--much of it from Russia. It was scarcely more welcome for America, which condemned Russia’s tactics. And no wonder: it consumes one-quarter of the world’s oil, but produces only 3% of the stuff. Over the coming years, the world’s dependence on oil looks likely to concentrate on the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia. Russian oil had seemed a useful alternative.
Fear of the energy weapon has a long history. When producers had the upper hand in the oil embargo of 1973-74, Arab members of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut supply, sowing turmoil and a global recession. When consumers had the upper hand in the early 1990s, the embargo cut the other way. After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990, the world shut in 5m barrels a day (b/d) of production from the two countries in an attempt to force him out. With oil costing $ 60 a barrel, five times more than the nominal price in 1999, and spot prices for natural gas in some European and American markets at or near record levels, power has swung back to the producers for the first time since the early 1980s. Nobody knows how long today’s tight markets will last. "It took us a long time to get there and it will take us a long time to get back," says Robin West, chairman of PFC Energy in Washington. A clutch of alarmist books with titles such as "The Death of Oil" predict that so little oil is left in the ground that producers will always have pricing power. The question is how worried consumers should be. What are the threats to energy security and what should the world do about them The answers suggest a need for planning and a certain amount of grim realism, but not for outright panic.

Based on the remarks made by Robin West, the current situation will()

A:vanish B:linger C:aggravate D:rebound

The old concerns lose importance and some of them {{U}}vanish{{/U}} altogether;

A:disappear B:develop C:linger D:renew

The old concerns lose importance and some of them {{U}}vanish{{/U}} altogether.

A:disappear B:develop C:linger D:renew

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