With the parliamentary elections behind us, we now have an unobstructed view of how one of the world’s most important political stories will unfold. Prime Minister David Cameron, who shocked pollsters by winning an outright majority in elections on May 7, promised voters a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether Britain will remain a member of the European Union. Some observers say that it’s all smoke, that Britons surely won’t vote to exit the E. U. Maybe. But the possibility of an exit—and the fear, anxiety and opportunism it generates—make this a story the world dare not ignore. Britain’s economy is among the strongest in Europe. Its GDP grew by 2. 6% last year, one of the best performances in the developed world. Employment stands at a record high. Yet Britain’s election results prove once again that the anti-E. U. populism now roiling European politics is alive and well in the U. K. Conservatives won their majority in part by promising a vote on E. U. membership that many party members don’t actually want. Labour, which carefully hedged its referendum bets, took a beating of surprising scale. The election’s biggest loser, the centrist Liberal Democrats, proved beyond a doubt that in this political climate, the middle of the road is the surest place to get hit by a truck. The only pro-E. U. winner in Britain’s vote was the Scottish National Party (SNP) , which won 56 of Scotland’s 59 contested seats just months after leading a failed effort to win Scotland’s independence from the U. K. Another winner was the Euroskeptic right-wing U. K. Independence Party (UKIP). The party won just one seat in the House of Commons, but its 12.6% of the national vote was more than either the Liberal Democrats or SNP could muster. Beyond its seat or vote count, UKIP has changed British politics by giving voice to public frustration with the E. U. and pushing the referendum to center stage. Now the referendum is coming. What’s at stake? In many ways, E. U. membership has served Britain well—particularly its supersize banking sector, which has helped make London into a global city. In 2014, financial and insurance services brought in $193.7 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the U. K. economy, totaling 8% of the U.K.’s GVA. It’s little surprise, then, that fear of a British exit—which could seriously upset the international banking industry—has persuaded some U. K. financial institutions to send up warnings. Some 72% of British companies polled by the firm Grant Thornton say an exit would hurt business. HSBC has warned that it would consider relocating its headquarters from London should the U. K. leave the E. U. No wonder British firms are on edge. By some estimates, “Brexit“ would cost the U.K. $330 billion, or 14% of its GDP. After leaving, Britain would have to renegotiate trade relationships with individual E.U. members, and its government would lose much of its international clout. London would also become a less important ally for the U. S. , which values Britain in part for its influence within the E. U. Finally, if polls suggest that a British exit is really possible, an empowered SNP might demand that overwhelmingly pro-E.U. Scots again get to vote on Scottish independence—and this time, they might well win. Right now, British voters are roughly split on an E.U. exit. In a recent poll by the consultancy Populus, 39% said they want to leave, while about 40% said they want to stay. That leaves a lot of undecided voters, and much will happen over the next two years. Bets will be hedged and preparations made, in Britain and across Europe. That alone will be a story worth following.

Question No. 6 I appreciate your offering me a ride, but I have plenty of time and can take the subway to work. Thanks a lot. She will take the subway with her friend. She’d rather take the subway than get a ride. She is grateful to get a ride with her friend. She has plenty of time to walk to the subway station.

Good afternoon! My topic today is about happy thoughts for the future. Here is a good reason to be hopeful about the future: it might help you stay alive. Findings from a new study were presented at the recent 2014 annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an 8-year period, beginning in 2006. All of the women were 50 years of age or older. The women were asked questions that measured their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality 8 years after gathering the information. The study found that hopeful individuals were 14 percent less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30 percent less likely to have died from heart disease after the 8 years. Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life. The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the 8-year period. Some women who answered the questions were found to be cynically hostile, or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16 percent more likely to die than the others. They also were 23 percent more likely to die of cancer. The study also found that women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise. Professor Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research. Question No. 23 When did the study in the United States begin? Question No. 24 What questions were asked in the study by the researchers? Question No. 25 What did the study confirm according to Professor Tindle? Question No. 26 Which of the following is Not true about women who are not optimistic? 2006. 2014. 8 years ago. 50 years ago.

M: ... I’d like to talk some more about your current job. W: Fine. What would you like to know? M: You have worked for the Wildlife Fund for several years, haven’t you? W: That’s right. I began working at the Wildlife Fund five years ago. M: How many positions have you had since you began there? W: I’ve had three different positions. The most recent is as an assistant researcher. I’ve been an assistant researcher since January. M: You worked as a copy writer before moving onto that position, didn’t you? W: Yes, I did. I was responsible for first drafts of background information. M: Great. How long have you wanted to become an editor? W: I graduated from Brown University in journalism and have dedicated my career to becoming an editor since then. M: You live here in Seattle, don’t you? W: Actually, I don’t. I currently live in Portland. M: How long have you lived there? W: I’ve lived in Portland since 2007. M: You enjoy living in the Northwest, don’t you? W: Yes, I do. I’ve lived here my entire life. M: Right, this job would include a lot of travel. How do you feel about that? W: Oh, I’d love to travel more for my job. I’ve travelled for work since I began my last job and I really enjoy it. M: Great. I imagine you can use a computer, can’t you? W: Yes, I can. I’ve used a computer for a number of years. M: Well, thank you very much for coming today. We’ll let you know by the beginning of next week. W: Thank you, sir. I look forward to the opportunity to work in your department in the future. Question No. 27 What does the man want to know about the woman? Question No. 28 How many positions has the woman taken since she began working at the Wildlife Fund? Question No. 29 What has the woman wanted to become since her graduation from Brown? Question No. 30 Which of the following statements is NOT true? Her educational background. Her career development. Her work experience. Her current job at the Wildlife Fund.

Sentence No. 1 Regular exercise is something like the weather — we all talk about it, but most of us tend to make an excuse for not exercising.

Speaking two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. But in recent years, scientists have begun to show that the advantages of bilingualism are even more fundamental than being able to converse with a wider range of people. Being bilingual, it turns out, makes you smarter. It can have a profound effect on your brain, improving other skills not related to language. This view of bilingualism is remarkably different from the understanding of bilingualism through much of the 20th century. Researchers, educators and policy makers long considered a second language to be an interference that hindered a child’s academic and intellectual development. But this interference, researchers are finding out, isn’t so much a handicap as a blessing in disguise. It forces the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its ability of knowledge acquisition. The bilingual experience appears to influence the brain from infancy to old age and there is reason to believe that it may also apply to those who learn a second language later in life.

Question No. 1 My father has always supported what I’m going to do. I have no idea why he objected so strongly to this plan of mine. My father objected because I have no firm idea of what I’m going to do. My father never has any good ideas about what I’m going to do. My father had no idea what my plan was. I don’t know what my father didn’t like about my plan.

W: Hello. How can I help you today? M: Hello. I’d like some information on the telephone banking services offered by your bank. W: Certainly. Where did you open your account? M: At the High Street Branch. W: What would you like to know? M: How do I sign up? W: Just let me know. I’ll sign you up immediately. M: Can you tell me how the telephone banking services work? W: You can do all your day-to-day banking over the telephone, 24 hours a day. M: That’s great. How do I access my account? W: Just call the bank, key in your PIN number and listen to the menu of options available. M: How do I choose the option I want? W: Just press the number for the service stated by the recording. M: What kind of things can I do? W: You can check your balance, pay bills, order a statement or even transfer money to another bank. M: That’s fantastic! Can I trade stocks and bonds? W: I’m afraid you will have to have a special account for that. M: What about getting help if I have any problems? W: There’s an automated answering machine and staff are available 9 to 5 seven days a week. M: It all sounds very good to me. I’d like to sign up. W: Alright, can you answer a few questions please? M: Certainly. . . Question No. 11 What might be the relationship between the two speakers? Question No. 12 What does the man want to do? Question No. 13 Which of the following is the man not able to do with telephone banking? Question No. 14 When can a customer get help from staff on the phone? Customer and salesperson. Caller and operator. Customer and bank clerk. Customer and information desk clerk.

Susan: George, I was wondering if we could discuss our new marketing strategy for a moment. George: Certainly Susan. You know that I’m working with Anne on changing our image, don’t you? Susan: Yes, I think you’ll make an excellent team. How do you feel about the merchandise we’re pushing? George: In my opinion, the products are fine. However, I think we should concentrate on expanding our market share in the young adult market. Susan: I totally agree. Who buys more products than twenty somethings? George: Exactly. We haven’t been very successful in our branding efforts, have we? Susan: I’m not keen on changing our target audience, but we certainly have to improve our brand image. George: If we want to edge out our main competitor, we’re going to have to target customers at a younger age. Susan: Maybe, but we also have to keep our competitive edge in quality. George: Why don’t we all get together for a discussion? Susan: Can you let me know when your next meeting with Anne is going to be? I’d like to go over some of our restructuring ideas with both of you. George: As a matter of fact, we’ll be meeting this afternoon. Let’s meet at four, shall we? Susan: I’m afraid I already have an appointment then. Do you think we could meet earlier? George: Well, I’ll have to check with Anne. Question No. 19 Why does Susan want to talk with George? Question No. 20 According to George, what should they concentrate on in the market? Question No. 21 What is Susan not very keen on? Question No. 22 Why is Susan NOT able to meet George and Anne at four? She knows for sure George can work with Anne. She wants to discuss the new marketing strategy with George. She doesn’t want to change the product image. She is going to work with George instead of Anne.

In Britain, pubs sell all kinds of alcohol. However, the main drink served there is beer, light or dark. Light beer is usually called bitter. Many pubs also offer light meals. Most pubs have two drinking rooms — the public bar and the saloon bar. The latter is more comfortable and slightly more expensive. ’Bar’ also means the counter at which the drinks are served. No alcoholic drinks may be served to young people under eighteen, and no children under sixteen are allowed inside the bar.

Americans today have different eating habits than they had in the past. There is a wide 【C1】______ of food available. They have a broader knowledge of nutrition, so they buy more【C2】______ than ever before. At the same time, Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets, snacks, and sodas. Statistics show that 【C3】______ determines the way they eat. American lifestyles have changed. They now include 【C4】______ people who live alone, single parents and children, and double-income families. These changing lifestyles ______【C5】the increasing number of people who must 【C6】______ or sometimes skip them altogether. Many Americans 【C7】______ than ever before to spend preparing food. Partly as a consequence of this limited time, 【C8】______ of all American homes now have microwave ovens. Moreover, Americans【C9】______ nearly four times a week on the average. It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food 【C10】______. The United States Department of Agriculture and 【C11】______ compile sales statistics and keep accurate records. This information tells us not only what people are eating, but also about the changes in 【C12】______. Red meat, which used to be the most popular choice for dinner, is 【C13】______ an American favorite. Instead, chicken, turkey, and fish have become 【C14】______. Sales of these foods have greatly increased 【C15】______. This is probably a result of the awareness of the dangers of eating food that【C16】______ high levels of cholesterol, or animal fat. According to a recent survey, Americans also change their【C17】______ to meet the needs of different situations. They have 【C18】______ about which foods will increase their athletic ability, help them【C19】______ , or make them alert for business meetings. Americans’【C20】______, along with their changing tastes and needs, leads them to consume a wide variety of foods.Americans today have different eating habits than they had in the past. There is a wide selection of food available. They have a broader knowledge of nutrition, so they buy more fresh fruit and vegetables than ever before. At the same time, Americans purchase increasing quantities of sweets, snacks, and sodas. Statistics show that the way people live determines the way they eat. American lifestyles have changed. They now include growing numbers of people who live alone, single parents and children, and double-income families. These changing lifestyles are responsible for the increasing number of people who must rush meals or sometimes skip them altogether. Many Americans have less time than ever before to spend preparing food. Partly as a consequence of this limited time, 60% of all American homes now have microwave ovens. Moreover, Americans eat out nearly four times a week on the average. It is easy to study the amounts and kinds of food that people consume. The United States Department of Agriculture and the food industry compile sales statistics and keep accurate records. This information tells us not only what people are eating, but also about the changes in attitudes and tastes. Red meat, which used to be the most popular choice for dinner, is no longer an American favorite. Instead, chicken, turkey, and fish have become more popular. Sales of these foods have greatly increased in recent years. This is probably a result of the awareness of the dangers of eating food that contains high levels of cholesterol, or animal fat. According to a recent survey, Americans also change their eating patterns to meet the needs of different situations. They have certain ideas about which foods will increase their athletic ability, help them lose weight, or make them alert for business meetings. Americans’ awareness of nutrition, along with their changing tastes and needs, leads them to consume a wide variety of foods.

Do the names MySpace, Facebook, Orkut, etc. mean something to you? They probably do because they are some of the most popular sites on the Internet today. These sites are all called ’social networking’ sites because they help people meet and discuss things online. Each of these social networking sites has its own strengths: MySpace is especially popular among teenagers, Facebook is popular with college age people, Orkut is especially loved in Brazil, and CyWorld is the site to visit in South Korea. The common thread between all of these social networks is that they provide a place for people to interact, rather than a place to go to read or listen to ’content’. Social networks are considered to be web 2. 0. What does this mean? To understand this, it’s important to understand what the original web did (often called web 1.0). Back in the nineties, the Internet was a place to go to read articles, listen to music, get information, etc. Most people didn’t contribute to the sites. They just ’browsed’ the sites and took advantage of the information or resources provided. Of course, some people did create their own sites. However, creating a site was difficult. You needed to know basic HTML. It certainly wasn’t something most people wanted to do as it could take hours to get a basic page just right. Things began to get easier when blogs were introduced. With blogs, many more people began writing ’posts’, as well as commenting on other people’s blogs. The key to the success of web 2. 0 companies is relying on users to create content. Besides the social networking sites discussed here, other huge success stories include: Wikipedia, Digg. com and the latest success — Twitter. All of these companies rely on the desire of users to communicate with each other, thereby creating the ’content’ that others want to consume. Question No. 15 Why are MySpace and Facebook called social networking sites? Question No. 16 Which of the following is true about Facebook? Question No. 17 What did most people do with the Internet back in the nineties? Question No. 18 What is the key to success of Web 2. 0 companies? Because they are quite popular today. Because they are important in people’s life. Because people often discuss these sites. Because they help people meet and discuss things.

We hold certain professions to a higher standard when it comes to the mental health of their workers, and for good reason. Doctors, police officers and pilots, for instance, have jobs that put others’ safety in their hands. So as evidence mounted about the psychological condition of Andreas Lubitz, co-pilot in the March 24 Germanwings plane crash, it raised important questions about how to safeguard against such tragedies. Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, says Lubitz had informed the airline of a “serious depressive episode“ in 2009, back when he was training to be a pilot. Investigators say Lubitz’s record also indicated “suicidal tendencies. “ While it’s not clear why Lubitz apparently drove the plane into a mountainside in the French Alps, his case puts a spotlight on the imperfect system for screening—and supporting—pilots who are depressed or suffer from other psychological conditions. In the U. S. , commercial pilots over 40 must submit to a physical and mental evaluation every six months; before age 40 it’s once a year. Physical health is easier to quantify than mental wellness, however. “You somehow try to see if the pilot is well, and it’s not the easiest thing,“ says Dr. Alpo Vuorio, a physician at the Mehilainen Airport Health Center in Finland who has studied depression and suicide in pilots. Most airlines have psychological-support programs for their crews; it’s a matter of persuading pilots to take advantage of them. “It’s a macho thing. You don’t want to admit you need help,“ says Scott Shappell, a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University and a former pilot. That may be why, according to one psychiatrist who evaluates pilots for the U. S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), only about half of the pilots who experience depression report their symptoms. “It’s one of the most difficult things in aviation medicine,“ says Vuorio. Experts say the vast majority of depressed people pose no harm to themselves or others, and most can be successfully treated—but stigma remains. Until 2010, the FAA had a ban on antidepressant use, making it an automatic disqualifier for pilots. After studies convinced officials such drugs don’t compromise pilots’ alertness or mental faculties, the FAA changed its position. The FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) require commercial pilots to self-report any medical or mental-health issues, along with a list of recent doctor visits and any medications they’re taking. Still, not all pilots do. “Pilots know if they self-report, it will be a black mark“ on their record, says Shappell. Any pilot reporting depression for the first time is automatically grounded before being re-evaluated and cleared to fly.

School’s out, and that means a slew of pricey summer activities for kids: beach trips, movie tickets and snacks, theme park visits, birthday parties and more. But this is the season to say no to incessant requests for mad money. Encourage your teen to get a part-time job instead—not only will he or she have enough cash to cover expenses, but part-time work looks great on college applications and provides great real-world experience. Plus, it’s important for your kids to learn how to manage their money sooner in life rather than later. Here are some top part-time summer jobs that don’t involve babysitting or mowing the lawn. Take Online Surveys and Write Reviews Companies are eager for consumer feedback—and they’re willing to pay! On sites like Swagbucks and MySurvey members complete simple tasks like taking surveys, writing reviews and watching videos to redeem rewards that can be cashed out or loaded onto a gift card. Teens can even preview up-and-coming music as reviewers on Slice the Pie. Note: Most of these sites have a minimum age requirement (13, 14 or even 18 at some) , so be sure to check the FAQs before your kid signs up. Get Crafty If your teen has a flair for all things DIY, encourage him or her to set up shop on Etsy (with your supervision). There are no membership fees, and after Etsy’s 3.5% cut, sellers get to keep all the profits via Paypal. Just note that under-18s are barred from participating in the site’s community spaces. Be a Pet Sitter or House Sitter While most professional dog and house sitting services require that their sitters be over 18, that doesn’t mean your teen isn’t fit to perform those duties for a trusted neighbor or friend. Depending on where you live, your teen can expect $ 15 to $ 30 per visit, and even more if an overnight stay is required. Put the word out among your friends that you have a kid eager to help out, or post on NextDoor to tell your neighbors about your teen’s availability. Enjoy Free Entertainment at Work Movie theaters have great basic summer job offerings, such as usher and concession stand worker, with perks like free movie tickets. If you live near a performance venue (say, a concert hall or a playhouse) , jobs there let teens catch great acts while they work!

For most of my adult life, I avoided meat, cheese, butter and cream because they are high in saturated fats, which have long been thought to cause heart disease. Moreover, fats generally are supposed to, well, make you fat. So, like many Americans, I minimized these foods while loading up on vegetables, fruits and grains instead. And, like many Americans, I wasn’t getting thinner. Despite rigorous daily jogging and biking, I continually struggled with an extra 10 pounds. Then, about a decade ago, I took a side job reviewing restaurants for a small local paper in Manhattan. Because the outlet didn’t pay for meals, I had to accept whatever free dishes the chefs served me. This turned out not to be the chicken breasts and stir-fried veggies I was accustomed to eating but rather red meats and every kind of luscious cheese. I found these dishes of fat-laden food rich, earthy, delicious and—to my surprise—slimming. After two months, I effortlessly lost those stubborn 10 pounds. A look back in time clearly shows that animal foods were far more favored than they are now. Across the globe, in 1960s Africa, men of the Masai tribe were observed to consume an average of 3 to 5 liters of milk, or more than a pound of butterfat, per day without any signs of heart disease. They also ate meat, but no vegetables. And while these tribal warriors were definitely more active than an office worker like me, the Masai didn’t gain weight upon adopting a more sedentary life in old age. Inspired partly by these stories, researchers over the past decade have rigorously tested the idea that following a high-fat regimen might actually be healthy. Simply put, I found a high-fat, low-carb diet was healthier. With that kind of solid scientific evidence in hand, I headed to the butcher. One night, I dug up and made my grandmother’s brisket recipe. On another, I bought a roast for dinner and browned it in butter—I had learned that butter and lard were the main fats used by American housewives before 1900, long before the epidemics of obesity and diabetes descended upon us. Soon I felt like a 19th-century housewife myself, with a stewpot continually bubbling on the back burner and a Mason jar full of homemade lard on hand. People used to fry their eggs in the fat left over from cooking bacon, and I did that too. Delicious. And my special low-carb pancakes cooked with lard are exceptionally crispy and light, as my boys, now ages 11 and 7, can happily attest. It also slowly dawned on me that cooking meat was a more efficient way to get a meal on the table. Making a vegetarian feast for friends, with all the slicing, dicing and roasting, could easily consume the better part of a day. Grilling a steak, by contrast, takes 10 minutes. With a simple green salad, it’s not only a complete meal but also one that allows me to enjoy my friends and family. It’s shocking that meat, cheese and eggs have been unfairly condemned for so many decades based on faulty, unreliable evidence. We are clearly more obese and diabetic for having replaced these foods with high-carb grains and sugar. I don’t miss the low-fat life— not the tasteless rice cakes, the salads without dressing, or the dry, skinless chicken breasts. Now I throw two sticks of butter in a pan with a whole chicken, and when all my guests rave about how it’s the most delicious bird they’ve ever tasted, I just smile and tell them, “The secret is not just the butter, but also that it’s good for you. “

Many firms fail because when they begin exporting they have not researched the target markets or developed an international marketing plan. To be successful, a firm must clearly define goals, objectives and potential problems. Secondly, it must develop a definitive plan to accomplish its objective, regardless of the problems involved. Unless the firm is fortunate enough to possess a staff with considerable expertise, it may not be able to take this crucial first step without qualified outside guidance. Often top management is not committed enough to overcome the initial difficulties and financial requirements of exporting. It can often take more time and effort to establish a firm in a foreign market than in the domestic one. Although the early delays and costs involved in exporting may seem difficult to justify when compared to established domestic trade, the exporter should take a more objective view of this process and carefully monitor international marketing efforts through these early difficulties. If a good foundation is laid for export business, the benefits derived should eventually outweigh the investment. Another problem area is in the selection of the foreign distributor. The complications involved in overseas communications and transportation require international distributors to act with greater independence than their domestic counterparts. Also, since a new exporter’s trademarks and reputation are usually unknown in the foreign market, foreign customers may buy on the strength of the distributing agent’s reputation. A firm should therefore conduct a thorough evaluation of the distributor’s facilities, the personnel handling its account, and the management methods employed. Another common difficulty for the new exporter is the neglect of the exporter market once the domestic one booms too many companies only concentrate on exporting when there is a recession. Others may refuse to modify products to meet the regulations or cultural preferences of other countries. Local safety regulations cannot be ignored by exporters. If necessary modifications are not made at the factory, the distributor must make them, usually at a greater cost and probably not as satisfactorily. If exporters expect distributing agents to actively promote their accounts, they must be trained, and their performance continually monitored. This requires a company marketing executive to be located permanently in the distributor’s geographical region. It is therefore advisable for new exporters to concentrate their efforts in a few geographical areas until there is sufficient business to support a company representative. The distributor should also be treated on an equal basis with domestic counterparts. For example, special discount offers, sales incentive programmes and special credit terms should be available.

With the parliamentary elections behind us, we now have an unobstructed view of how one of the world’s most important political stories will unfold. Prime Minister David Cameron, who shocked pollsters by winning an outright majority in elections on May 7, promised voters a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether Britain will remain a member of the European Union. Some observers say that it’s all smoke, that Britons surely won’t vote to exit the E. U. Maybe. But the possibility of an exit—and the fear, anxiety and opportunism it generates—make this a story the world dare not ignore. Britain’s economy is among the strongest in Europe. Its GDP grew by 2. 6% last year, one of the best performances in the developed world. Employment stands at a record high. Yet Britain’s election results prove once again that the anti-E. U. populism now roiling European politics is alive and well in the U. K. Conservatives won their majority in part by promising a vote on E. U. membership that many party members don’t actually want. Labour, which carefully hedged its referendum bets, took a beating of surprising scale. The election’s biggest loser, the centrist Liberal Democrats, proved beyond a doubt that in this political climate, the middle of the road is the surest place to get hit by a truck. The only pro-E. U. winner in Britain’s vote was the Scottish National Party (SNP) , which won 56 of Scotland’s 59 contested seats just months after leading a failed effort to win Scotland’s independence from the U. K. Another winner was the Euroskeptic right-wing U. K. Independence Party (UKIP). The party won just one seat in the House of Commons, but its 12.6% of the national vote was more than either the Liberal Democrats or SNP could muster. Beyond its seat or vote count, UKIP has changed British politics by giving voice to public frustration with the E. U. and pushing the referendum to center stage. Now the referendum is coming. What’s at stake? In many ways, E. U. membership has served Britain well—particularly its supersize banking sector, which has helped make London into a global city. In 2014, financial and insurance services brought in $193.7 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the U. K. economy, totaling 8% of the U.K.’s GVA. It’s little surprise, then, that fear of a British exit—which could seriously upset the international banking industry—has persuaded some U. K. financial institutions to send up warnings. Some 72% of British companies polled by the firm Grant Thornton say an exit would hurt business. HSBC has warned that it would consider relocating its headquarters from London should the U. K. leave the E. U. No wonder British firms are on edge. By some estimates, “Brexit“ would cost the U.K. $330 billion, or 14% of its GDP. After leaving, Britain would have to renegotiate trade relationships with individual E.U. members, and its government would lose much of its international clout. London would also become a less important ally for the U. S. , which values Britain in part for its influence within the E. U. Finally, if polls suggest that a British exit is really possible, an empowered SNP might demand that overwhelmingly pro-E.U. Scots again get to vote on Scottish independence—and this time, they might well win. Right now, British voters are roughly split on an E.U. exit. In a recent poll by the consultancy Populus, 39% said they want to leave, while about 40% said they want to stay. That leaves a lot of undecided voters, and much will happen over the next two years. Bets will be hedged and preparations made, in Britain and across Europe. That alone will be a story worth following.

博鳌，十多年前还是一个鲜为人知的小渔村，现在已成为可以共商亚洲发展之计的大平台。博鳌是在中国和亚洲开放发展中快速成长起来的，它的开放与变化表明了中国与亚洲、亚洲与世界的联系日益密切。可以说，身在博鳌能够“博览天下”、“博采众长“，博鳌论坛是一个立足亚洲、面向世界、开放包容的大平台。博鳌亚洲论坛在凝聚亚洲共识、传播亚洲声音、促进亚洲合作方面发挥了重要作用，已经成为全球具有重要影响的经济论坛之一。

Prime Minister David Cameron promised voters a referendum by the end of 2017 on whether Britain will remain a member of the European Union. The word “referendum“ means______.

According to the passage, which of the following statements about the British economy is NOT true?

According to the writer, giving voice to public frustration with the E. U. has been promoted by

The passage indicates that “Brexit“ would______.

It can be inferred from the passage that______.